THE 



FLOWER-GARDEN ; 



OR, 



BEECK'S BOOK OF FLOWERS; 



IN WniCH ARE DESCRIBED 



ALL THE VARIOUS HARDY HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS, AN- 
NUALS, SHRUBBY PLANTS, AND EVERGREEN TREES, 
DESIRABLE FOR ORNAMENTAL PURPOSES, 



WITH DIRECTIONS POR THEIR CULTIVATION. 



BY JOSEPH BRECK. 



SEEBSKAN AND FLORIST, AND FORMER EDITOR OF THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER AND THS 
nORTICULTURAL REGISTER. 



NEW EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED. 



BOSTON: 
PUBLISHED BY JOHN P. JEWETT & COIilPANY. 

CLEVELAND, OHIO : JEWETT, PROCTOR & WORTHINGTON. 
NEW YORK : SHELDON, ELAKEMAN & COMPANY. 

1856. 






^' 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1S51, by 

JOHN P. JEWETT & CO., 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. 



APR 24 1:29 



stereotyped by 

HOBART & BOBBINS, 

NEW ENGLAND TYPE AND STEREOTYPE FOUNDERT, 

BOSTON. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The object of this volume is the diffusion of general knowl- 
edge and practical information in relation to the floral kingdom, 
particularly for hardy trees, shrubs and plants, desirable for the 
embellishment of the flower-garden and pleasure-ground. It is 
not designed as a scientific treatise for those far advanced in the 
knowledge of plants, but for new beginners, who are just entering 
the temple of Flora ; or, as a book of reference to those who 
have but little time for research, and who desire some simple 
instructions as to the mode of culture, or description of the 
habits, of plants or seeds which they may wish to grow. That 
it may be more acceptable to the great majority, technical 
descriptions have been avoided as much as possible. I con- 
sider it important that plants should be generally known by their 
scientific name, as this is universal, while the common name is 
only local ; and have, therefore, given precedence to the botanical 
name, and followed with the common name, where any has been 
known. Some work of this kind, it has often appeared to me, 
was much needed. It has often been called for, in my business 
as seedsman. Customers will purchase a quantity of seeds, not 
knowing, perhaps, anything about their habits, cultivation, or 
treatment, or that there should be any difierence in their manage- 
ment. Having had long experience in the cultivation, as well as 



IV INTRODUCTION. 

the sale, of seeds and plants, it is expected that every inquiry 
should be promptly and correctly answered, in good humor, and 
as part of the trade. This it is always pleasant to do when 
there is not a press of business ; but sometimes it is rather 
trying. This book, therefore, may be said to have been partly 
written in self-defence, or, more properly speaking, to give all 
needed instructions deliberately and correctly, instead of doing it 
in a hurry. The low price of the book will bring it within the 
reach of almost every person. 

It was thought desirable to bring to notice many of our beau- 
tiful indigenous plants and shrubs, as worthy of cultivation, A 
handsome flower-garden may be made of these alone ; many of 
them are within the reach of every one, and may be obtained 
without money and without price. The care and trouble is all 
the outlay, and this may be offset by the pleasure derived in col- 
lecting them from the fields, woods, or meadows. 

The time of flowering and directions for sowing seeds, hardi- 
ness, &c., correspond to the meridian of Boston; but those in 
different latitudes will find no difiiculty in making the proper 
allowance for the difference in location. 

The plan of this work was devised twenty years ago, and 
more than three hundred pages of closely written letter-paper 
prepared for it ; but it was found, in the diffuse manner in which 
it was commenced, that it would require a thousand pages to 
complete it, and, as other business interfered, it was abandoned. 
In looking over this old manuscript, I found that so many new 
plants had been introduced, and such improvements had been 
made in numerous species, that it would be of but little use in 
this work. It was, however, to some small extent, incorporated 
into it. Many articles on various subjects have appeared, from 



INTRODUCTION. V 

time to time, in the Horticultural Register, New England Farmer, 
and the Horticulturist, either with my own signature or initials, or 
under some fictitious one. These communications have been re- 
vised, discarding what did not agree with present experience, or 
opinion, and making such alterations and additions as the prog- 
ress in floriculture demanded ; and these have afforded material 
for this book. With few exceptions, I have been as familiar 
with the plants described as with household friends, and believe 
the directions given will not lead any one astray, I do not claim 
all as original, having culled from a great variety of books and 
periodicals, English and American. To Loudon's Encyclopedia 
of Plants, and other works, I am indebted for the history of 
many plants, and the origin of their generic or specific names. 
Mr. Emerson's excellent work on the " Trees of Massachusetts " 
has assisted me in the description of many shrubs and trees ; to 
whom credit has been given in the body of the work. Dr. T. 
W. Harris's treatise, on the "Insects of Massachusetts Injurious 
to Vegetation," has furnished me with the history and habits of 
the Rose-Bug and other insects. Extracts have been made from 
Downing's " Horticulturist," from Parsons, " On the Rose," and 
hints from " Hovey's Magazine," and from various other books 
and periodicals. 

For the poetry interspersed throughout this volume, I have 
drawn largely on " Flora Domestica," a pleasant English work. 

In the directions for making walks, laying box edgings, &c,, 
I am indebted to an experienced gardener, and to Mr. Mc- 
Mahon's old work on gardening, in connection with my own 
experience and observation. 

J. B. 

Boston, Feb. 14, 1851. 

1* 



PREFACE 

TO THi: NEW EDITION. 



Five years have passed since the author very hastily penned 
the first edition of his Book of Flowers. The work was origi- 
nally designed to be embraced in two hundred pages ; but it was 
found impossible to treat of all the plants which were to be 
brought to notice, with even a brief description of their habits, 
modes of culture, &c., in so limited a space. It was, therefore, 
extended to three hundred and thirty-six pages. But, with this 
extension, many things were necessarily omitted, to make the work 
complete. One great omission was, a chapter on the cultivation 
of plants in the parlor, of which the author has very often been 
reminded by female amateurs from every part of the country. 
In this edition the ladies will find the desired instruction ; for 
which, if they are more successful in consequence of the hints 
thrown out, the author will feel himself amply rewarded. 

Many new and beautiful plants for the flower-garden have been 
introduced since this work was written, and many old standard 
varieties have been so much improved, that those formerly highly 
prized are now thrown aside and rejected. 

I shall give a brief notice of those that may be thought desir- 
able for open culture. Some trees and plants, that were hopefully 
spoken of as probably enduring this northern climate, and have 
not succeeded, will be noted. 

The author feels under great obligations for the favorable 
notices which have been given of this work by the public press, 
and particularly to numerous individuals from every part of 
the country, who, in their private communications, have spoken 
of it in high terms, as being a work very much needed, and as 
meeting the wants of young amateurs. 



GENEIUL INDEX. 



Annuals, cultivation of, 33 

sowing seed of, 36 

descriptive list of, 161 

Biennials, culture of, 33 

descriptive list of, 44 

Bulbous roots, general cultivation of, 34 

■ descriptive list of, &c., 44 

Bulbs, directions for flowering in glasses, 82 

Flowers, the importance of tlieir cultivation, 13 

selecting for the flower-garden, 25 

■ old-fashioned do., 2S 

Flower-garden, laying out, 17 

Flowering plants, selection of, 25 

Edging, best plants for, and laying, 23 

Evergreen trees, descriptive list of, 308 

Garden walks, how to construct, 20 

Herbaceous plants, how to propagate, 35 

descriptive list of, 85 

Insects injurious to the rose, &c., 327 

Lawns, mode of constructing, . 31 

Native plants recommended, 26 

Perennials, cultivation of, 33 

propagation of, 36 

descriptive list of, 85 

Rock-work, remarks on, 30 

Rose, 267 ; soil for, 274 ; planting, 276 ; pruning, 277 ; propagation of, 

278 ; tree, 280 

Rose, China, Tea, and Noisette, 234 ; musk, Macartney, microphylla, 
285 ; summer, 286 ; everblooming, Bourbon, 283 ; remontant, 
232 ; moss, 236 ; climbing, 238 ; Boursalt, 239 ; prairie, 239 ; 
Ayrshire, 290 ; multiflora, 292 ; Gerarde's account of, 292 ; to 

obtain odors from, 293 

Rose Slug, 327 ; remedy for, 331 

Bug, 333 

Chafer, 333 

Saw-fly, 328 

Shrubs, on the cultivation of deciduous and evergreen, 40 

proper season for planting, 41 

soil and situation for, 42 

descriptive list of, 216 

Thrips, or vine-fretters, 332 

Whale-oil soap, 332 



BULBOUS-EOOTED PLANTS. 



Amaryllis, 4G 

Anemone 44 

description of a fine double 

one, 45 

soil, situation, and plant- 
ing, 45 

Bulbous-rooted plants, descriptive 

list of, 44 

Bulbous perennials, 34 



Bulbs, directions for flowering in 

glasses, 82 

Corn Flag, 54 

Crown Imperial, 52 

Crocus, 47 

Dahlia, 47 

propagation of, 43 

— preparation of soil for, ... 48 

preserving roots, 50 



Vlll 



GENERAL INDEX. 



Daffodil, 67 

Kiiglisli Iris, 01) 

Feixlliered Hyacinth, 59 

Feiaria, 51 

Flower-de-luce, 59 

Frilillaria, 52 

Galanthus 53 

Garden Hyacinth, 55 

Gladiolus, 51 

Grape Hyacinth, 59 

Guinea hen flower, 53 

Iris 59 

Susiana GO 

Xiphioides, CO 

Jonqiiille, 67 

Leucojum, 54 

Lilium, 61 

Lily 01 

Muscari, 59 



Narcissus, 67 

PiBony, 63 

Persian Fritillaria, 03 

Poet's Narcissus, 68 

Polyanthus Narcissus, 68 

Ranunculus, 72 

directions for cultiva- 
tion, 73 

Hoop-])etticoat Narcissus, .... 63 

Hyacinth, 55 

planting, 57 

Snowdrop, 53 

Spanish Iris, 60 

Tree Pseony 70 

Tiger flower, 51 

Tuberose, 74 

Tulip, 75 

Wind flower, 44 



PERENNIAL, BIENNIAL, HERBACEOUS, BORDER, AND OTHER 
FLOWERS. 

Coreopsis 106 

Corydalis, 103 

Cynoglossum, 109 

Cyprepedium, 109 

Cowslip, 149 

Dame's Violet, 123 

Day Lily, 124 

Daisy, 97 

Delphinium, '. 109 

Dianthus, Ill 

Dictamnus, 113 

Digitalis, 116 

Dodecatheon, 117 

Dog's-tooth Violet, 118 

Dracocephalum, 117 

Dragon's-head, 117 

Epilohium, 118 

Eiythronium, 118 

Eu])horbia, 119 

Eupatorium, U9 

Evening Primrose, 137 

Everlasting Pea, 123 

Feverfew, 150 

Fleur-de-luce, 126 

Foxglove, 116 

Fraxinella, 115 

Funkia, 125 

Fumitory 103 

Garden Rocket, 123 

Gentiana 120 

Gerard ia, 120 

Geranium, 122 

Globe Flower, 155 

Golden Rod, 153 

Glycine, 121 

Ground-nut, 121 

Hepatica, 123 

Hesperis, 123 



Achillea, 85 

Aconitum, So 

Actcea, 86 

Adam's Needle, 159 

Adonis, 87 

Alyssum, 87 

Althoja, 87 

Anemone, 90 

Amsonia, 91 

Antirrhinum, 91 

Aquilegia, 92 

Armeria, 93 

Aster, 93 

Asclepias, 94 

Anriculn. 14S 

Balm, 130 

Baptisia, 9G 

Bellis 97 

Bell flower, 97 

Bitter Vetch, 133 

Bloodroot, 152 

Blue Catananche, 100 

Buttercup, 150 

Canterbury Bells, 93 

Candytuft, .• . . 120 

Cardinal flower, 129 

Cardamine, 100 

Carnation Pink, 112 

Cassia, 100 

Catananche, 100 

Cantua; 120 

Chelone, 102 

Chrysiinlhenuim, 101 

China Pink, 114 

Clematis, 103 

Colundiine, 92 

Convallaria, inr> 

Coronilla, xoi] 



GENERAL INDEX, 



IX 



Helinnthus 124 

Hemerocalis, 124 

Hibiscus, 125 

Honesty, 132 

Horned Poppy, 122 

Hollyhock, 87 

Hypericum, 126 

Iberis, 126 

Ipomopsis, 120 

Iris, 120 

Jacob's Ladder, 147 

Lady's Slipper, 109 

Lathyrus, 12S 

Lamium, 129 

Larkspur, 109 

Lily of the Valley, 105 

London Pride, 135 

Loose Strife, 135 

Lobelia, 129 

Lunaria, 132 

Lungwort, 149 

Lupin, 132 

Lysaniachia, 135 

Ly thrum, 136 

Malva 136 

Maryland Cassia, 100 

Mallows, 136 

Milfoil 85 

Monarda, 136 

Monkshood, 85 

Morning Glory, 106 

Mullen Pink, 86 

Navelwort, 109 

CEnothera, 137 

Orchis, 137 

Orobus, I3S 

Pansy 157 

Papaver, 138 

Pasque Flower, 90 

Pentstemon, 139 

Phlox, 140 

early varieties, 141 



Phlox, summer do 142 

late do 144 

raised from seed, .... .146 

Periwinkle, 156 

Pink, 1 1 1 

Polemonium 147 

Polyanthus, 148 

Poppy, 133 

Potenlilla, 147 

Primrose, 148 

Primula, 148 

Pulmonaria, 149 

Pyrethrum, 150 

Sabbatia, 151 

Sanguinaria, 152 

Sarracenia, 151 

Saxifraga 152 

Sea Lavender, 154 

Side-saddle Flower, 151 

Snap Dragon, 91 

Solidago, 153 

Solomon's Seal, ' 105 

Speedwell, 156 

Spiraea, 153 

Spiderwort, 154 

Spurge, 119 

St. John's-wort, 126 

Sunflower 124 

Swallow-wort, 94 

Sweet William, 114 

Thrift 93 

Thorough-wort, 119 

Tradescantia, 154 

Trollius 155 

Valerian, 155 

Veronica, 156 

Vinca, 156 

Virgin's Bower, 103 

Viola, 157 

Willow Herb, 136 

Wolfebane, 85 



MNUALS. 



Adonis 161 

African Hibiscus, 184 

Alyssum, 161 

Alonsoa, 162 

Amaranthus, 162 

Amaranth, 182 

Amethyst, 166 

Ammobium, 164 

Animated Oat, 165 

Anagalis, 164 

Apple of Peru, 177 

Argemonc 162 

Aster, 164 

Avena, 165 

Balsam Apple, 199 

■ Pear, 200 

Balsam, 185 

Balloon Vine, 168 



Bartonia, 165 

Basil 202 

Brachycome, 166 

Browallia, 166 

Briza, 166 

Cacaiia, 166 

Calendula, 167 

Calandrinia, 167 

Calampelis 167 

California Poppy, 171 

Calliopsis, 168 

Callistemne, 164 

Caterpillar, 196 

Catchfly, 210 

Cardiospermum, 168 

Campanula, 169 

Candytuft, 185 

Canna, 169 



GENERAL INDEX. 



Canary-bird Flower, 213 

Cclosia, I'^O 

Cenlaurea, l^I 

GhiiiaPink, HI 

China Aster, 164 

Cliriseis, 171 

Chrysanthemum, 172 

Clarlcia 173 

Clintonia, 174 

Cleome, 174 

Cobs, 175 

Cocltscomb, 171 

Coix, 172 

Coreopsis, ....... 163, 175, 176 

Colinsia, 175 

Commelina, 176 

Convolvulus, 177 

Crepis, 177 

Cypress Vine, 1S6 

Ecremocarpus, 167 

Erysimum, 181 

Eschscholtzia, 171 

Euloca ^ 179 

Euphorbia, 179 

Everlasting- Flower, 184 

Evening Primrose, 202 

Forget-me-not, 200 

Gailiardia, 181 

German Aster, 164 

Gillyflower, 194 

Gilia, 181 

Globe Amaranth, 182 

Gomphrena, 182 

Godetia 183 

Hedgehog, 196 

Helianthus, 183 

Hplichrysum, 184 

Hibiscus, 184 

Hyacinih Bean, 179 

Iberis, 185 

Ice Plant, 196 

Impatiens, 185 

Indian Pink, Ill 

Indian Cress, 212 

Shot, 169 

Ipomea 186 

Job's Tears, 172 

Larkspur 178 

Lathyrus, 188 

Leptosiphon, 189 

Lasthenia, 189 

Lavatera, 189 

Limanthus, 190 

Loasa, 190 

Lophospernum 191 

Love in a Mist, 201 

Love in a Puff, 1C3 

Love-lies-bleeding 163 

Lupinus, 191 

Madia, 192 

Malope, 192 

Marigold, 211 



Martyuea, 193 

Marvel of Peru, 199 

Mathiola, 194 

Maurandia, 193 

Medicago 195 

Mesembryanthemum, 196 

Mimosa, 196 

Mignonette, 207 

Mimulus, 197 

Mirabilis, 199 

Monkey Flower, 197 

Momordica, 199 

Morning Glory, 177 

Mourning Bride, 208 

Myosotis, 200 

Nasturtium, 212 

Nemophila, 200 

Nigella, 201 

Nolana, 201 

Nun's Whipping-rope, 163 

Ocynum, 202 

(Enothera, 202 

Palestine Mustard, 181 

Pansy, 157 

Papaver, 203 

Phaseolus 205 

Platystemon, 205 

Poppy, 203 

Phlox, 205 

Portulacca, 206 

Pot Marygold, 167 

Primrose, 183 

Purple-eyed Crepis, 177 

Q.uaking Grass, 166 

Resede, 207 

Rodanthe, 207 

Salpiglossis, 207 

Scabious, 208 

Scarlet-flowering Bean, 205 

Scarlet Morning Glory, 187 

Schizanthus 209 

Schizopetalon 209 

Sensitive Plant, 196 

Snails, 196 

Sphoenogyne, 210 

Senecio, 210 

Silene, 210 

Swan's Daisy, 166 

Sunflower 183 

Sweet Pea, 188 

Tagates, 201 

Thorn Apple, 177 

Thunbergia, 212 

Tricolor, 162 

Tropseolum 212 

Unicorn Plant, 193 

Variegated Euphorbia, 180 

Verbena 213 

Venus Looking-glass, 169 

Viola, 157, 214 

Zeranthemum, 215 

Zinma, 215 



GENERAL INDEX. 



XI 



HAEDY SHRUBS AND LOW TREES. 



.^culus, 

Acuba, 

Altha frutex, 

Almond, double-flowering, . . - 

Amorpha 

Amelanchier, 

American Rose Bay, 

Amygdalus, 

Ampelopsis, 

Andromeda, 

Aristolochia, 

Ash, 

Ash, weeping, 

Azalea, 

Bladder Senna, 

Barberry, 

Beech, purple-flowering, . . . . 

Berberis, 

Bignonia, 223, 

Birthwort, 

Box, 

Bramble, 

Broom 

Buflalo Tree, 

Buxus 

Buckthorn, 

Catalpa, 

Calycanthus 

Caprifolium, 

Carolina Allspice, 

Ceanothus, 

Celastrus 

Clematis, 

Climbing Stafi", 

Cerasus, 

Cercis, 

Cherry, double-flowering, . . . . 

Chionanthus, 

Clethra, 

Colutea, 

Corchorrus, . , 

Cornus, 

Cranberry Tree, 

Crataegus, 

Crab Apple, 

Currant, 

double-flowering, . . . . 

Cydonia, 

Cytisus, 

Daphne, 

Deutzia 

Diervilla, 

Dirca, 

Dogwood, 

Eloeagnus, 

Elder, 

English Ivy, 

Epigaea, 

Euonymus, 

Fagus 

Fevcrbush, 

Flowering Raspberry, 



216 
216 
241 
219 
217 
217 
254 
218 
219 
220 
220 
239 
239 
220 
230 
222 
238 
222 
301 
220 
224 
294 
296 
295 
224 
257 
224 
224 
225 
225 
226 
227 
103 
227 
228 
229 
228 
229 
230 
230 
244 
230 
305 
232 
256 
264 
264 
233 
234 
235 
235 
236 
236 
231 
236 
295 
240 
237 
237 
233 
244 
295 



Fraxinus 239 

Fringe Tree, 229 

Goldi-dust Tree, 216 

Ground Laurel, 237 

Halesia, 239 

Hedera, 240 

Hibiscus, 241 

Holly 241 

Honeysuckle, 225, 247 

Horse Chestnut, 246 

Ilex, 241 

Indigo Shrub, .217 

Ivy, English, 240 

Ivy, poisonous, 254 

Japan Quince, 233 

Judas Tree, 220 

Kalmia, 242 

Kerria, 244 

Laburnum, 234 

Laurus, 244 

Laurel, 242 

Lavender, 244 

Leatherwood, 236 

Ligustrum, 246 

Lilac 300 

Lonicera, 247 

Locust, 265 

Lycinm, 247 

Magnolia, 248 

Mazerion, 235 

Mahonia, 251 

Oleaster, 230 

Paulownia, 251 

Paeony, 253 

Pear 255 

Peach, double-flowering, .... 218 

Philadelphus, 253 

Plum, 254 

Poison Sumach, 263 

Ivy, 263 

Prunus, 254 

Privet, 240 

Pyrus, 255 

Purple Beech, 233 

Red Bud 229 

Rhamnus, 257 

Rhododendron, 25S 

Rhodora, 261 

Ribes, 264 

Robinia, 265 

Rose Acacia, 266 

Rose, 267 

Bay, 258 

poetical extracts on, . . .263 

soil for, 274 

situation for, 275 

propagation of, 273 

classification, 230 

Rubus, 294 

Sambucus, Shepardia, 295 

Siiad Bush, 217 

Snowberry, 300 



xu 



GENERAL INDEX. 



Snowball 303 

Snowdrop, 239 

Sparlium, 296 

Spireea, 296 

Kuinauh, 261 

Poison, ........ 263 

Strawberry Tree 237 

JSjmpbora, 300 

Syringa, 253, 300 

Tartarean Honeysuckle, .... 247 



Tecoma, 

Tree Paeony 

Trumpet Flower, 223, ^ 

Venetian Sumach, 20.. 

Viburnum, 303 

Virginian Creeper, 219 

Wayfaring Tree, 304 

Weigela, 305 

Weeping Ash, 239 

Wistaria, 306 



EVERGREEN TREES MD SHRUBS. 



Abies canadensis, 313 

nigra, 315 

alba 316 

communis, 316 

pulcherrima, 317 

— ■ — Douglassii, 317 

Arbor vitte, 322 

Auricaria imbricata, 326 

Austrian Pine, 312 

Box, 224 

Cedar, 322, 324 

Cedar of Lebanon, 320 

Chilian Pine, 322 

Cupressus, 323 

sempervirens, .... 324 

thyoides, 324 

Cypress, 323 

Deodara Cedar, 325 

Epigsea, 237 

Euonynious, 233 

Fir Balsam, 318 

Hacmatack, 319 

Hedera 240 

Holly, 241 

Ilex, 241 

Ivy, English, 240 

Juniper 324 

Juniperus Virginiana, 324 

communis, 325 

Kalmia, 242 



Magnolia, 243 

Mahonia 251 

Larch, Scotch, 319 

American 319 

Cedar of Lebanon, .... 320 

Larix, 319 

Norway Pine, 311 

Norway Spruce, 310 

Picea balsamifera, 318 

Fraseri, 319 

Pine family, 311 

Pinus, 313 

sabiniana, 312 

pinaster, 312 

ponderso, 312 

Lambertiana, 312 

Austrica 312 

strobus, 311 

resinosus, 3U 

sylvestris, 311 

Pitch-pine, 311 

Rhododendron, 258 

Scotch Pine, 311 

Spruce, 313 

Black, 315 

White, 316 

Norway, 316 



Swiss Pine, 313 

Thuya occidentalis, 322 

White Pine, 311 



CLIMBING PLANTS. 



Ampelnpsis, 219 

Aristolochia 210 

Balloon Vine, 168 

Bi'^nonia, 223 

Caprifolium 225 

Canary-bird Flower, 213 

Cardiospermum, 163 

Cclaslrus, 227 

Cleirialis, 103 

Cobas, 175 

Corydalis, 103 

Convolvulus, 106, 177 

Cypress Vine, 186 

Dolichos, ISO 

Glycine, 121 

Honeysuckle 225 

Hi'dera 240 

Inomea, 180, 187 



Ivy, English, 240 

Poison, 204 

Lathyrus 128 

Loasa, 190 

Lophospermum, 191 

Lj'cium, 247 

Maurandia, 193 

Moniordica, 199 

Nasturtium, 212 

Piiaseolus, 205 

Pipe Vine, 210 

Thunl)ergia 212 

Tropa;olum, 212 

Trumpet Flower, 223 

Vinca, 156 

Virginian Creeper, 219 

Waxwork, 227 

Wistaria, 306 



EOOK OP FLOWERS. 



ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CULTIVATION 
OF FLOWERS. 

" How exquisitely sweet 
This rich display of flowers, — 
This airy wild of fragrance, 
So lovely to the eye, 
And to the sense so sweet ! " 

" And round about he taught sweet flowers to grow." 

" Flowers ! The cultivation of flowers," say some ; " of 
what use? It gives us neither meat, drink, nor clothing." 
Well, supposing it does not ? Shall we not turn our thoughts 
to something else besides corn and potatoes, and the produc- 
tions of the earth which only keep soul and body together? 
Is there no mind to feed and delight ? Shall we always be 
plodding ? Will it always be the inquiry, " What shall we 
eat, and what shall we drink, and wherewithal shall we be 
clothed ? " Must care and business always engross the whole 
mind ? The earth, the seas, and skies, are full of the wonders 
of God's beautiful creation. Shall we close our eyes, stop our 
ears, and be dumb, when there is such an endless profusion 
around us, to delight, to cheer, and soothe us ? We need not 
compass sea and land for our gratification ; the means for 
innocent and healthy relaxation are within the reach of every 
one. It lies around us ; it is at our feet; "it may be found 
in the garden, where, in the beginning, everything pleasant to 
the sight " was congregated. 
2 



14 breck's book of flowers. 

Flower-gardens were ever held in high estimation by persons 
of taste. Emperors and kings have been delighted with the 
expansion of flowers ; and a more exalted personage than the 
highest on earth called the attention of his followers to the 
beauty of flowers, when he said, " Consider the lilies of the 
field, how they grow ; they toil not, neither do they spin, and 
yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not 
arrayed like one of these." Nature, in her gay attire, unfolds 
a vast variety which is pleasing to the human mind, and, con- 
sequently, has a tendency to tranquillize the agitated passions, 
and exhilarate the man, — nerve the imagination, and render 
all around him delightful. Who, that has been confined to the 
business of the day, toiling and laboring in the " sweat of his 
brow," does not feel invigorated and refreshed, as he takes 
his walk in the cool of the evening, with the happy family 
group about him, and marks the progress of his fruits and 
flowers ? Or who, that breathes the delicious fragrance of the 
morning flowers, glittering with dew, but can look up with 
greater confidence to Him who has strewed, with such liberal 
profusion, in every direction, the evidences of his goodness to 
the children of men ? 

" The cultivation of flowers is an employment adapted to 
every grade, the high and the low, the rich and the poor; and 
especially to those who have retired from the busy scenes of 
active life. Man was never made to rust out in idleness. A 
degree of exercise is as necessary for the preservation of health, 
both of body and mind, as food. And what exercise is more 
fit for him, who is in the decline of life, than that of superin- 
tending a well-ordered garden ? What more enlivens the 
sinking mind .? What more invigorates the feelle frame ? 
What is more conducive to a long life ? 

" The pleasure derived from u fine collection of flowers 
requires no comment, only that the more varied and perpetual 
the flowering, the greater is the gratification to the observer. 
The moral lesson that can be obtained from flowers also forms 
another fine characteristic in the flower-garden ; for flowers not 



CULTIVATION OF FLOWERS. 15 

only please the eye and gratify the passing observer, but con- 
tain a beauty in their structure, in the most minute parts and 
coloring, that conveys a pleasing and natural lesson to the most 
accurate and intelligent observer, with everything to please and 
nothing to offend. 

Who, that was blessed with parents that indulged themselves 
and children with a flower-garden, can forget the happy, inno- 
cent hours spent in its cultivation ? O ! who can forget those 
days, when, to announce a bud, or the coloring of a tulip, or 
the opening of a rose, or the perfection of a full-blown peony, 
was gloiy enough for one morning ? 

" Who can forget the vine planted by his mother's own hand 
when he was a little child ? Its tendrils now cling to the top- 
most branches of a tall tree in the front yard ; and he never 
revisits the scene of his childhood, without gratifying some of 
the holiest emotions of his nature, by sitting under its shelter, 
and recalling the earliest and happiest associations of his life. 
And there, too, clinging about the columns of the porch, is the 
coral honeysuckle, shading the evening window with its rich 
and delicate clusters of flowers ; and at every footstep along 
the border, are the many-hued flowers planted by a sister. 

" It has been said by travellers that they could distinguish a 
pure-minded and more intelligent family, from the appearance 
of the house and grounds in this particular. The difference 
was striking, — the house of the more intelligent was sur- 
rounded with flowers — the windows displayed them — vines 
were twined with care and taste over the dwelling. Another 
presents a different spectacle. The weeds and briers are 
allowed to hold their dominion. In short, Solomon's picture 
of the garden of the sluggard is exactly verified. 

" The cultivation and study of flowers appears more suited 
to females than to man. They resemble them in their fra- 
gility, beauty, and perishable nature. The Mimosa may be 
likened to a pure-minded and delicate woman, who shrinks 
even from the breath, of contamination ; and who, if assailed 
too rudely by the finger of scorn and reproach, will wither and 
die from the shock." 



16 breck's book of flowers. 

" A taste for trees, and plants, and flowers, is the love an 
enlightened mind and a tender heart pay to nature. It is a 
peculiar attribute of woman, exhibiting the gentleness and 
purity of her sex ; and every husband should encourage it ; for 
his wife and daughters will prove wiser, and happier, and bet- 
ter, by its cultivation. Who does not venerate and love some 
tree, or rose, or honeysuckle, planted, it may be, by the hand 
of some absent or departed mother, or sister, or brother ? and 
who would not protect them with a holy reverence, as memen- 
toes of a hallowed love as well as contributors to the gratifica- 
tion of an elegant taste ? What can be more grateful to the 
merchant, or man of any professional business, than to recreate 
for a short time in a well-selected collection of flowers, neatly 
arranged and cultivated ? Every one either engages his atten- 
tion by its fragrance, color, or its peculiar character ; and many, 
as the rose, white lily, &;c., embrace everything to attract our 
most ardent desires." 

In reply to the question often asked, What is the use of 
flowers ? Cobbett asks another : What is the use of anything ? 
There are a variety of things pleasing to the eye of man, — 
some of them expensive and not within the reach of all ; but 
flowers may, without much expense, be possessed by the hum- 
blest individual. Their cultivation may be made one source 
of happiness to the family. Let heads of families gather 
around them every source of innocent amusement and recre- 
ation for their children. They should endeavor to make their 
home attractive and lovely, in doors and out, — a paradise, if 
possible. 



LAYING OUT THE FLOWER-GARDEN. 

"And the sinuous paths of lawn and moss, 
Which led through the garden along and across ; 
Some opened at once to the sun and the breeze, — 
Some lost among bowers of blossoming trees, — 
Were all paved with daisies and delicate bells, 
As fair as the fabulous asphodels ; 
And flowerets which, drooping as day drooped too. 
Fell into pavilions, white, purple, and blue. 
To roof the glow-worm from the evening dew." 

Situation. — As to the situation of a garden, it is not always 
in our power to choose. A level plat, however, is to be pre- 
ferred ; for, if there be considerable descent, the heavy rains 
will wash away the soil. A southern aspect, sheltered from 
the north and west winds, is a proper situation for most plants. 
An inclination to the north, or west, or any point between them, 
should, if possible, be avoided. It should be situated contig- 
uous to or near the dwelling-house, and well exposed to the 
sun and air, that the culture of the more curious and valuable 
flowers may be treated with the best success. 

Soil. — The soil should be a deep, rich loam. If not natu- 
rally so, it must be made rich and deep by trenching and 
manuring, by carting away poor soil and bringing on good. If 
naturally heavy, it should be made light with a more sandy 
soil ; or, if too light, it should be improved by a mixture of that 
which is more heavy. 

The ground should be trenched two spades deep, or from 
twelve to sixteen inches, according to the quality of the sub- 
soil. If the subsoil is poor, the depth of the mould must be 
made by carting on such substances as are most needed to 
correct the bad qualities of the soil. A compost, made of 
decomposed green sward from a pasture, and old, rotten ma- 
nure, would, in most cases, be the best application to increase 

the depth of the soil. 
2# 



18 breck's book of flowers. 

If the ground allotted for the flower-garden is inclined to be 
wet, or springy, it should be thoroughly drained by ditches or 
drains so deep underground as not to interfere with cultivation. 
A location, having a gravelly subsoil and exposed to drought, 
should be avoided, if possible. In a word, what is wanted is a 
deep, rich soil, natural or artificial, not too wet, nor too dry. 

Laying out the Garden. — In giving directions for laying 
out a flower-garden, it must be borne in mind that it is not the 
design of the writer to give elaborate plans for extensive pleas- 
ure grounds; as those who are able or disposed to indulge 
themselves in this great luxury, will, probably, consult the sci- 
entific landscape gardener, or derive their information from 
other sources within their reach, rather than from a work writ- 
ten particularly for the multitude, whose means may be more 
or less limited. 

"Neatness should be the prevailing characteristic of a flower- 
garden, which should be so situated as to form an ornamental 
appendage to the house ; and, when circumstances will admit, 
placed before windows exposed to a southern or south-eastern 
aspect. The principle on which it is laid out ought to be that 
of exhibiting a variety of colors and forms so blended as to pro- 
duce one beautiful whole. In a small flower-garden, viewed 
from the windows of the house, this effect is best produced by 
beds, or borders, formed on the side of each other, and parallel 
to the windows from whence they are seen ; as, by that position, 
the colors show themselves to the best advantage. In a retired 
part of the garden a rustic seat may be formed, over and around 
which honeysuckles, and other sweet and ornamental creepers 
and climbers, may be trained on trellises, so as to afford a pleas- 
ant retirement." 

In laying out a flower-garden, it is best to have the work all 
completed by the middle of October, that it may be in read- 
iness to receive bulbous, and many of the herbaceous and other 
plants, and such shrubs as are hardy enough to set in autumn. 

The work may, therefore, be commenced at any leisure time 
during the months of August and September ; or, if it is more 



LAYING OUT THE FLOWER-GARDEN. 19 

convenient not to commence the work until spring, it should be 
accomplished as early as possible. If thus deferred, the pro- 
prietor must necessarily be deprived the pleasure of having 
anything in its greatest perfection, except annuals and tender 
bulbous or tuberous plants for that season. I should, therefore, 
advise, by all means, to have the work done in autumn. 

The quantity of land to be devoted to the object may be 
small ; but, however limited the space, it is necessary some 
order should be observed in the general arrangement. 

As to the style of laying out, it will be difficult to propose 
any plan that would be likely to give satisfaction to all, for 
most of our readers have a fancy of their own ; and, though they 
might be disposed to ask advice, yet would, probably, after all, 
follow the guidance of their own taste, whether it be good or 
bad. It may not be amiss, however, to throw out a few hints. 
And, in the first place, if any considerable extent is to be im- 
proved, — or if small, and it is desirable to have the business 
done neatly, and in a substantial, workmanlike manner, — we 
should recommend that a thorough-bred, intelligent gardener 
be employed to execute the work ; for the beauty of a garden 
depends very much upon the manner of laying out, the proper 
consistency and richness of the soil, the make of the walks, 
and laying the edgings, whether of box, grass, or anything 
else. 

The form of the ground may be either square or oblong, 
somewhat circular or irregular. The interior part may be 
divided into oblong four-feet beds, or in the manner of a par- 
terre, in some fanciful style ; the former being more conven- 
ient, particularly for most of what are called florist's flowers, 
but the latter more pleasing to the eye. In either method, a 
walk should be carried round the outward boundary, leaving a 
border to surround the whole ground. This outward border 
will be the most appropriate place for choice flowering shrubs, 
and tall herbaceous biennial and perennial plants. If the bor- 
der be a wide one, groups of ornamental trees, of low growth, 
may be planted in the background, especially on the northern 



20 breck's book of flowers. 

and western quarters, which will greatly protect the plants 
from cold winds, particularly if they be evergreens. Large 
trees should not be planted so near as to injure the garden by 
their roots or shade. Every fine garden should be well 
secured by fence or hedge, if at all exposed to the public road. 
A hedge is far the prettiest, if well managed, neat, and orna- 
mental. 

" The plan of the garden, be it either large or small, gener- 
ally pleases when it is so constructed as to give a variety in 
the design. Formality, though often the leading feature, sel- 
dom gives that ease that is requisite. The planting of the 
ground should also bear the nicest consideration; by which, 
1 mean that such shrubs and plants should be selected as will 
form a pleasing contrast, and be appropriate in the different 
places assigned to them." 

GARDEN WALKS. 

Width of Walks. — The main walk, or walks, of a garden, 
should be laid out on a liberal scale. Nothing detracts so much 
from the pleasures of the flower-garden as contracted walks. 
When we wish to enjoy the company of a friend, in the flower- 
garden, it is much more agreeable to have him by our side, arm 
in arm, than to be under the necessity of making the tour of 
the garden in Indian file. The main walks should, therefore, 
be calculated so as to admit two persons to walk comfortably in 
a social manner; and, if wide enough for a little one in addi- 
tion, so much the better. From five to six feet will not be too 
wide for the main avenue. The internal compartments, of 
course, should have much narrower walks, the width of which 
must be graduated in a degree by the size of the garden. 

The walks of the flower-garden should be constructed of 
such material as will make firm and dry walking at all seasons 
of the year. The best walks are composed of small stones, 
oyster-shells, coarse gravel, or broken bricks, covered with five 
or six inches of fine gravel. As to the color of the gravel, or 
coating, you must be governed by fancy and convenience ; but 



LAYING OUT THE TLOWER-GARDEN. 21 

as to quality, it should be coarse and lively, containing a due 
proportion of light sandy loam, to make it bind close and firm 
at all seasons; but not so redundant in loam or clay as to 
stick to the feet in wet weather, nor so sandy as to be loose 
and open in dry weather. 

Ground oyster shells are sometimes used, also granite chips, 
from a stone-cutter's, which make fine, hard walks ; but these 
substances are too brilliant for the eye in a sunny day, and on 
that account are objectionable. A reddish free-stone color has 
a better effect. 

Agreeably to your design, stake out the width of the walk, 
and proceed to level the boundary on each side, corresponding 
with the adjacent ground, and form the cavity of the walk for 
the reception of the gravel, — observing that the whole space, 
to make a good and permanent walk, should be dug twelve or 
fifteen inches deep, to allow a proper depth for gravel, to pre- 
vent the weeds from rising from the ground below, and worms 
from casting up the earth thereof. The earth dug out from the 
cavity of the walk may be used to raise and level any hollow 
parts on each side, or contiguously situated, which, with the 
edging, if of box, should always be completed before you begin 
to lay the gravel. 

The walks being thus laid out, you may first lay any stony 
rubbish, — such as broken bricks, small stones, &c., — for sev- 
eral inches deep in the bottom, which will drain off extra 
moisture, and thereby prevent the surface from becoming mossy 
or foul ; the proper gravel is then to be laid on, six or eight 
inches thick. As you proceed in laying, observe to rake off 
the coarse parts into the bottom, and to raise the middle of 
the walk higher than the sides, in a gradual rounding form, 
just as much as is sufficient to carry off the wet to each 
side. 

The proportion to be observed is, — a walk of four feet wide 
should be one and a half inch higher in the middle than at 
the sides, and for every foot after, that such increases in 
width, add one fourth of an inch for the centre elevation. 



22 breck's book of flowers. 

Rounding the walk too much would make it very uneasy to 
walk upon, and of an unpleasant appearance. No more gravel 
should be laid in one day than can be finished off and rolled 
effectually. Clean, hard gravel walks add much to the beauty 
and comfort of the garden. 

A garden roller is indispensable where there is any extent 
of walks, and it should be applied as often as once a week, and 
particularly after a rain. 

PLANTING BOX AND OTHER EDGING. 

The surface of the garden having been levelled, and the 
walks dug out, according to the plan, and partially filled with 
stones and coarse gravel, the operator may now proceed to 
plant the box edgings, or any other plant he may substitute 
for that purpose, or grass if that is preferred. 

Box, of all other plants, makes the neatest and most beauti- 
ful edgings. This may be set in September or October, but 
will require protection, as it is very liable to be thrown out by 
the frost, or winter-killed, without it. It may also be planted 
in the spring, and also in June ; but when late planted will 
require shading and watering. 

Box takes root freely from cuttings, and is sometimes used 
without fibres ; but, unless great care is taken, some of it will 
fail to grow, thereby making the edging uneven and full of 
gaps, and it will be found difficult to get it into good shape again. 
If it is to be raised from cuttings, it should be done in a bed by 
itself, where it can have the benefit of shading and watering. 

To make neat edgings, you should get some short, bushy 
box, and let it be slipped or parted into moderately small slips, 
of not more than six or eight inches in length, dividing it in 
such a manner that each slip shall have more or less roots or 
fibres upon it, rejecting such as are destitute, for planting by 
themselves. If any have long, straggling roots, they should be 
trimmed off, and the plants should be made pretty much of a 
length. 

It is to hi premised that the margin of the beds have all 



LAYING OUT THE FLOWEE-GARDEN. 23 

been properly levelled or graded ; then they should be trodden 
lightly and evenly along, to settle it moderately firm ; if for a 
straight edging, stretch the line along the edge of the bed or 
border; with the spade make up any inequalities of the surface 
according to the line ; then, on the side of the line next the 
walk, let a small, neat trench be cut, about six inches deep, 
making the side next the line perfectly upright, turning the 
earth out toward the walk or alley. 

For a curving margin, a strip of board, an inch wide and 
twelve or fifteen feet long, with pegs attached by screws or 
nails, at various distances along its length, so that it can be 
made fast in the ground, to correspond with the design, may 
be used instead of the line ; or some workmen are so expert, 
that, having the design transferred to the ground, they will 
proceed with accuracy without such a guide. At any rate, the 
trench is to be dug out as directed for a straight line. 

The box is to be planted in the trench, close against the 
upright side, against the line or strip of board, placing the 
plants so near together as to form immediately a close, com- 
pact edging, without being too thick and clumsy, and with the 
top of the plants as evenly as possible, all an equal height, not 
more than an inch or two above the surface of the ground ; 
and, as you proceed in planting, draw the earth up to the out- 
side of the plants, which fixes them in their due position ; and 
when you have planted the row out, then with your spade cast 
in the earth almost to the top of the plants, and tread neatly and 
closely thereto. When the edging is planted, let any inequal- 
ities of the top be cut as even and neat as possible, with a pair 
of shears. 

Grass makes a very neat edging if kept in order, but it 
requires so much attention to keep it in its place, so much 
edging and cutting, that I would not recommend it. If, how- 
ever, it is made use of, it should be obtained from a pasture or 
road-side, where it may be easily cut in strips to suit, of three 
or more inches wide, according to fancy. The sward should 
be fine and tough, so as not to break in cutting and removing. 



24 breck's book of flowers. 

The mode of laying will suggest itself to almost any one : — the 
surface of the grass should be on a level with the earth, and 
but slightly raised above the walk. 

Thrift, if neatly planted, makes handsome edgings to bor- 
ders or flower-beds. This may be planted as directed for box, 
slipping the old plants into small slips ; setting the plants near 
enough to touch one another, forming a tolerably close roW. 

Thyme, hyssop, winter savory, and pinks are frequently 
used for edgings, but they are too prone to grow out of com- 
pass, and therefore not to be recommended. 

Many other plants are often used for edgings, but there is 
nothing that makes so neat and trim an edging as box. 

It is a good time to clip old box edgings in June. They 
should never be suffered to grow tall, but be kept down low. 

It is best to give some protection to box in the winter by 
coarse litter, or by throwing up a few inches of the fine grave] 
on one side and the earth of the border on the other. 



SELECTIONS OF FLOWERING PLANTS FOR 
THE GARDEN. 

" To raise your flowers, various arts combine, 
Study these well, and fancy's flight decline ; 
If you would have a vivid, vigorous breed, 
Of every kind, examine well the seed ; 
Learn to what elements your plants belong. 
What is their constitution, weak or strong ; 
Be their physician, careful of their lives. 
And see that every species daily thrives ; 
These love much air, these on much earth rely, 
These, without constant warmth, decay and die ; 
Supply the wants of each, and they will pay 
For all your care through each succeeding day." 

To select the most desirable plants, and to arrange them 
with good taste, requires an extensive knowledge of the floral 
kingdom. The time of flowering must be known, the height, 
hardiness, habits, odors, &c. ; also the effect of the combination 
of different colors, so that the plants may be arranged in such 
a manner as to produce the happiest effect. I shall place 
before my readers an extensive collection of the most desirable 
plants, embracing hardy Annuals, Biennials, Perennials, and 
Shrubbery, pointing out their various habits, qualities, beauties 
or defects, and modes of cultivation, describing them as plainly 
as possible, without using any more technical language than is 
necessary for that purpose. The circumstances of different 
individuals vary so much, as well as their taste and fancy, 
that, having given these particulars, it must be left with each 
one to choose for himself such plants as are adapted to his 
circumstances, the extent of his ground, soil, &c. Some sug- 
gestions may not be out of place. 

Some persons, anxious for a great variety, crowd too many 
plants into a small space; consequently have nothing in per- 
3 



26 breck's book of flowers. 

fection. This is too often the case with young beginners, and 
it is not uncommon to see the small patch devoted to flowers 
as unsightly as if it were filled with weeds. It is much better 
to be confined to a few fine varieties, and cultivate them well, 
than to pursue the careless style which is frequently seen in 
the flower-garden, or what is denominated as such. 

Tenants, who occupy their places for an uncertain length of 
time, are not generally disposed to make many improvements 
by the addition of plants. Those who may be thus situated, 
and have a desire for a flower-garden, can, without much 
outlay, have a succession of flowers through the season. The 
following Annuals may be obtained for one dollar : — Double 
Rocket Larkspur, Phlox Drummondii, Mignionette, German 
Asters, Coreopsis Drummondii, Pansies, Sweet Peas, Poppies, 
Gillyflowers, Chriseis, Purple and White Candytuft, Nemo- 
phila. Petunias, Lavateras, Convolvulus, Globe Amaranths, 
Immortal Flower, Mourning Bride, and Sweet Sultans. For 
two dollars a dozen, Verbenas, of difTerent colors, may be 
obtained, that will keep up a lively bloom from June to 
November. A dozen fine Dahlias and a few Gladiolus will 
cost three or four dollars, which, with a few monthly roses to 
be turned out into the garden, and to be re-potted in autumn, 
and a few choice perennials, grown in deep pots and plunged 
in the ground, will not altogether exceed the sum of ten dol- 
lars. These plants, well grown, will make a fine display, and 
quite a respectable flower-garden. 

NATIVE PLANTS. 

Many beautiful plants may be selected from the woods and 
fields, by those who wish to ornament their grounds at the 
least expense. These would be more highly prized than many 
far-fetched plants, that are trumpeted before the public, from 
time to time, could they be seen grouped together in the 
flower-garden, with the same care of cultivation bestowed upon 
them as upon some of the expensive exotics. What plant can 
rival the splendor of the Lobelia cardinalis, with its thousands 



SELECTIONS OF FLOWERING PLANTS FOR THE GARDEN. 27 

of vivid scarlet flowers, when perfected by the gardener's hand ? 
How few have seen the beautiful Aquilegia Canadense, im- 
proved as it may be in the flower-garden ? Who has tried to 
cultivate the Gerardia family — a tribe of plants singular in their 
habits, and perhaps difficult to manage in the garden ; but their 
great elegance and beauty would, no doubt, amply repay any 
pains that might be taken to domesticate it. Our native Asters, 
— a large family of interesting plants, enlivening our autumnal 
months, some of them very beautiful in their wild state, — are 
greatly improved when transplanted into the flower-garden. 
What an acquisition to our floral treasures would be a double 
variety of Aster multijlorus, with its pure white flowers ; or 
A. pimiceus, with its lively blue ; or A. Novcb Anglce, with its 
purple flowers ; or what curious sports might be expected from 
crossing the different species ! No doubt as great an improve- 
ment might be made with our native perennial Asters, as has 
been made with our annual China or German Asters, in their 
improved state. 

Then there is the extensive genus Solidago, embracing many 
fine species of diflferent heights, with their rich yellow flowers. 
Of the Asclepias, Avhat is prettier than A. decumhens and 
tuberosum, with fine orange flowers — and other species with 
red or purple ? 

Some of the large family of Violas are very pretty. Our 
Lilies, Lupins, Hepaticas, Geraniums, Gentians, Iris are 
worthy a place in the pleasure grounds. 

The curious Orchideous and Trillium tribes, so wild in 
their habits, and impatient of cultivation, might be introduced, 
and a multitude of others, that would produce a fund of amuse- 
ment to the cultivator, in watching the progress of improve- 
ment, that might be developed from time to time, in eflx)rts 
made to perfect them. Among our shrubs, are many very 
beautiful. What more so, than the Kalmia, Azalea, Ehodora, 
and many others to be found in different locations ? Surely, in 
making up our selections of plants, those of our own native 
land should not be neglected. 



28 bbeck's book of flowers. 



OLD-FASmONED FLOWERS NOT TO BE DISCARDED. 

In selecting for the garden, it should be borne in mind that 
many of the new varieties of flowers, of recent introduction, 
trumpeted forth, in advertisements and catalogues, as being 
"exquisite, superb, unsurpassed," &c., are, many of them, 
greatly inferior to the old and highly esteemed varieties of the 
old-fashioned gardens. These time-honored denizens of the 
flower-garden should not be discarded as antiquated and out 
of fashion. My opinion is fully expressed in the following 
article from the Gardener's Chronicle : — 

" Among the many follies which the gardening world com- 
mits, none is more striking to the looker-on, than the eagerness 
with which old favorites are deserted for new ones. Of all 
inconstant lovers, gardeners must surely be the most incon- 
stant. To-day they are at the feet of a Dahlia ; to-morrow 
there is no beauty like a Pansy, and both are presently deserted 
for a Cineraria. In their eyes, old age is a crime, and aged 
flowers are mercilessly consigned to the poor-house. We 
remember when Cape plants were the rage ; a Brunsvigia, or 
an Ixia, or a Protea, were standing toasts ; to possess such fair 
objects was the height of man's ambition. But in a few years 
these were thrown aside, and New Holland beauties supplanted 
them ; to be succeeded by the flaunting, or shy and delicate, 
natives of South America. If we look to an old garden cata- 
logue, we can but wonder how the flower-garden was decorated 
by our fathers ; for there we find little besides races now known 
only by name. 

" Marigolds and Candytufts, Love-lies-bleeding, Globes and 
Balsams, Catchflies and Cockscombs, Daisies and Dittany, 
Persicarias and Prince's Feather, Lupins, Tricolors and Mar- 
vels of Peru, Sunflowers and Sweet Sultans, — pride of the 
eighteenth century, — ye have all fallen victims to the flicker- 
ing meteor called taste ; and are now only to be found in the 
old drawers of old seed-shops, where you are but the cur'os- 



SELECTIONS OF FLOWERING PLANTS FOR THE GARDEN. 29 

ities of floiiculture ; or in remote country gardens, not yet 
reached by steam or electricity. Even in acknowledging an 
acquaintance with Hollyhocks and China Asters, we do so 
under a teeling of something like shame at being known to 
keep such doubtful company. 

" Are these follies to have an end ? Shall we never be wise 
enough to look upon all flowers as equal ? Do we not yet 
know that what is called the difference in their attractions, is 
but a difference in our skill in managing them ; and that they 
are all endowed with wondrous beauty, varying in kind, but 
the same in nature ? Most especially must we inquire whether 
the arts of the cultivator should be limited, as they are, to the 
domestication of a few fashionable races, to the entire neglect 
of the ancient inhabitants of the flower-garden ? A Hollyhock 
is as showy as a Dahlia, infinitely more graceful, much easier 
to cultivate, as prone to run into varieties, and hardy instead of 
tender ; yet the lumpish Dahlia is seen everywhere ; socie- 
ties are formed to admire it and to gamble in it ; and the Hol- 
lyhock is consigned to a few places, where, as at Shrubland, 
refined taste still excludes fashionable vulgarity. The Ama- 
ranths are a race peculiarly suited for rich autumnal decoration, 
— quick-growing, many-sized, and long-enduring, — no doubt 
susceptible of further change ; but they are abandoned for the 
sake of Petumias and Chrysanthemums. Surely it would be 
wiser to try to improve those ancient races, which are so well 
suited to our climate and our purses, than to limit our skill to 
tampering with the constitutions of the delicate, though bril- 
liant, strangers that have taken such entire possession of our 
affections. 

" Let no man say that they are incapable of improvement. 
Who has tried the experiment ? Who has tried to cross the 
Prince's Feather with the Cockscomb ? or Love-lies-bleeding 
with the Tricolor ? or the Bee with the Dwarf Larkspur ? or 
the Persicaria with the straggling Buckwheat, [Polygommn 
divaricatum) ? or the Indian Pink with the Carnation ? or the 
Marigold with the Coreopsis ? Until these trials have been 
3* 



30 breck's book of flowers. 

made, with at least as much care as has been shown in manag- 
ing the Calclolaria, or the Pansy, we must be permitted to say 
that our ancient friends are unfairly treated, and that we are 
doing ourselves much disservice." 

We shall be told that experiments of the class suggested are 
hopeless. We believe them to be likely to lead to highly im- 
portant consequences, expecially in those cases where the result 
of success would be to improve a perennial by the aid of an 
annual ; a very material consideration. 

Plants should be "chosen that will give a succession of flowers 
from the early part of the spring till the winter closes the flow- 
ering season. In this work we hope we have so described the 
various plants, that almost any person of taste may be enabled 
to select such as may be deemed proper to effect this object. 
Those persons who can, conveniently, visit nurseries and gar- 
dens during the season, will select more accurately by noticing 
the plants when in bloom, as their true character and portrait 
can be seen, and appreciated, far better than from any descrip- 
tion that can be given. 

ROCK-WORK. 

There are many plants that succeed best when planted 
among rocks ; and, for their accommodation and to show off 
their beauties to the greatest advantage, it is common in many 
gardens, to have an appendage, called a rockery. This is made 
of a collection of stones, in the rough or natural state, laid up 
without much order, with soil, which should be concealed as 
much as possible by the fragments of rock. As many of the 
plants succeed best in the shade, a portion of the rock-work 
should be partly surrounded with trees or shrubs, that they 
may derive that advantage. Trilliums, Orchis, Cyprepediums, 
and some few ferns, and a great variety of native plants 
which are found in our woods, with an appropriate soil, would 
flourish well in such a spot. The rockery should be partly, or 
wholly, concealed from the general flower-garden by shrubs or 
trees. It may be approached from the main walk under a 



SELECTIONS OF FLOWERING PLANTS FOR THE GARDEN. 31 

rustic arch, mantled with climbers, or through a winding pas- 
sage among evergreens. Rockeries should be formed as much 
as possible of natural materials ; the stones, or fragments of 
rock of which it is composed, should not bear the marks of the 
quarry, or any art. For a small garden one collection of rocks 
or stones, with a walk round it, will be sufficient ; but when a 
person has some fancy, a variety of beds or collections may be 
made with winding walks around them, which, if relieved with 
some dwarf evergreen shrubs, may be made to show off a great 
variety of dwarf plants to the very best advantage. Rockeries 
should be conspicuous for a natural character. No appearance 
of art, and no approach to the regularity or smoothness proper 
to works of art, will be at all in place here. The surface of 
the whole cannot be too irregular, or too variedly indented or 
prominent. Evergreen shrubs of low growth will be particu- 
larly useful in giving prominence to some portions of the work ; 
provision will, therefore, have to be made, in the placing of the 
stones, for planting a few shrubs, and a greater number of her- 
baceous rock plants, in their interstices, which should be left 
broader or smaller, according to the size of the plant that may 
be required in them. 

In arranging the stones, they should be laid upon their 
broadest or flat sides, with the outer edge slanting downwards 
rather than upwards. Any great elevation should never be 
sought in small rockeries. This would be inconsistent with 
their breadth, and would render them too prominent and artifi- 
cial. There are many rocky locations in New England, which, 
with a little study, might be converted into tasteful and beau- 
tiful gardens, where all the fine creepers might display their 
beauties on the more prominent points, and the more accessible 
places be fitted up to receive the more humble dwarf species. 

LAWNS. 

No flower-garden can be complete without some grass. 
There are but very few, however, who can afford the luxury 
of an extensive grass lawn ; but every one wishes for a few 



32 breck's book of flowers. 

rods, at least, about the house ; this may lie between the house 
and garden. When there is but a small surface to grass over, 
it may be done with turf, if it can be obtained of a good 
quality, which is not often the case. The best way is to begin 
at the beginning, and do the work up thoroughly. First see 
that the ground is well prepared by deep digging or trenching ; 
for it is in vain to expect the lawn to preserve its greenness in 
summer, unless the soil is pulverized so that the roots of the 
grass may penetrate two feet deep. After the soil is thus pre- 
pared and levelled, it should be left to settle a week or ten 
days ; then it should be raked off smooth, and it will be ready 
for the seed. The New England red-top, or bent grass, alone, 
makes the finest lawn for this climate ; but if it is desirable to 
give immediate eflfect to the lawn, there should be a mix- 
ture of white Dutch clover. Three bushels of red-top to ten 
pounds of white clover, or four bushels of red-top without 
it, is none too much for an acre. This may seem a heavy 
seeding, but it is none too much. After sowing the seed, it 
should be rolled with a heavy roller. 

To have a fine lawn, it is necessary not only to mow it 
often, but roll it also, especially after a rain. By doing thus, a 
close texture and fine velvety turf may be obtained. 



REMARKS ON THE CULTIVATION OF PEREN- 
NIALS, BIENNIALS, AND ANNUALS. 

"A flowery crown will I compose — 
I'll weave the Crocus, weave the Rose ; 
I '11 weave Narcissus, newly wet, 
The Hyacinth and "Violet ; 
The Myrtle shall supply me green, 
And Lilies laugh in light between ; 
That the rich tendrils of my beauty's hair 
May burst into their crowning flowers, and light the painted air." 

Perennials are those plants which do not in their growth 
form either trees or shrubs, but which lose their tops, wholly 
or in part, every year, after they have done flowering; the 
roots continuing to live and generate for several years suc- 
cessively. 

Biennials are those plants that flower the second and some- 
times the third year from the time the seeds are sown, and 
then perish, as the Hollyhock. 

Imperfect Perennials continue three or more years, and then 
die, as the Sweet William or Fox Glove, but which, with a 
little care in dividing the roots every year, can be kept many 
years. 

Perennials are hardy, half-hardy, and tender. Hardy 
perennials stand the hardest winter without protection ; half- 
hardy require to be well protected; and tender perennials 
must be kept through the winter in the green-house. 

Perennials are of two kinds, bulbous and herbaceous, which, 
differing materially from each other in habits, require, conse- 
quently, a different kind of treatment. Such being the case, 
a few remarks will be made on each kind separately. 



34 breck's book of flowers. 



BULBOUS PERENNLA.LS. 



They are of three kinds, — viz., hardy, or such as grow ia 
the open border ; half-hardy, such as will not stand out over 
winter, or requiring a frame or the green-house ; and stove, or 
those that Avill not grow to perfection without artificial heat. 
Of these last we shall have nothing to say. Many of the half- 
hardy are perfected when planted in the open ground in the 
spring, and are sometimes called spring bulbs, as the Gladi- 
olus, &c. 

The Anemone and Ranunculus, are half-hardy, requiring 
the protection of a frame or otherwise. 

Hardy bulbs, with few exceptions, are remarkably easy of 
cultivation, and, if planted in proper soil and situation, seldom 
fail to produce plenty of offsets and seeds for propagation. 

The best kind of soil for their growth is a light loam, rather 
sandy than otherwise, yet not too light, or the bulbs will be 
injured during the heat of summer, and, if adhesive, they 
invariably grow weakly, and seldom flower. 

As to the depth the different bulbs require to be planted in 
the ground, no certain rule can be laid down, as some species 
require to be planted from three to five inches, while others not 
more than one and a half, deep. The different depths will be 
given as each variety in species is described. 

Encourage as much as possible the growth of the leaves, by 
giving them free exposure to light and air; for on the full 
development of these depends the success of the bulbs flower- 
ing another year. If the leaves grow strong, a good quantity 
of strong pulp is stored up in the bulbs, and a good bloom is 
the consequence. 

Never, if it can be avoided, disturb the roots by removal 
during their growth : but if obliged to do so, select a wet day, 
and take them up with good balls, so as not to injure the 
fibrous roots. 

The only time to remove them with success, is during 
the time of their torpidity, at which time the offsets may 



PEKENNIALS AND BIENNIALS. 35 

be separated, and planted where the cultivator may judge 
best. 

The season of rest, for most bulbs, happens shortly after 
they have done flowering. Tulip and Hyacinth bulbs are 
generally ripe in about one month from the time of flower- 
ing. As soon as the foliage of the Tulip turns purple and 
begins to dry, the bulbs may be taken up ; and the Hyacinth, 
before the foliage is fully decayed. As a general rule, when 
the tops have quite died down, the bulbs may be taken up and 
separated. 

With the exception of Tulips, Hyacinths, Narcissus, and 
some others, most hardy bulbs are injured if kept long out of 
ground, as the Lily tribe. Crown Imperial, &c. It. is best to 
plant immediately offsets of bulbs, of every description, for if 
kept long out of ground they become exhausted and perish. 
Bulbs that have commenced growing, before planting, are 
always weakened ; yet ignorant purchasers will frequently 
select such because they look more lively. If they have made 
much growth, the bulb will not flower at all. 

Some tuberous roots are classed with bulbous roots. Strictly 
speaking, it is not correct, but for convenience sake we shall so 
consider them. The Dahlia and Peony are, properly, tuber- 
ous roots. Of these, directions for cultivation will be given 
when described. 

HEKBACEOUS PERENNIALS AND BIENNIALS. 

The mode of cultivating this class of plants is perfectly 
easy ; three things chiefly have to be attended to. First, the 
manner of propagation. Second, the most suitable soil. Third, 
the requisite temperature. There are Ave methods of propa- 
gation practised : by divisions, suckers, layers, seeds, and 
cuttings. 

Dividing the Roots. — This may be done either with a kind 
of knife, if the plant is small, or a spade, if it is strong and 
large. The best time for doing it is when the tops are just 
beginning to grow after having been cut down. 



36 breck's book of flowers. 

The roots may be divided in the spring, or almost any time 
(with some species) during the summer, after flowering. The 
month of August is a proper time for many kinds, as the 
divisions will take strong hold before winter, and be prepared 
to flower strongly the next year. 

Suckers. — These may be taken up at any time when they 
appear, but the most usual time is when the plant is beginning 
to grow. 

Seed. — Sow, for the most part, in early spring, in light soil, 
and plant out in the following autumn in the situations where 
they are to flower. Many of the fine double and other varie- 
ties never produce seed. 

Layers and Cuttings. — Thrifty, succulent shoots, if partly 
cut through, and pegged down, and covered with earth, will 
take root, as is the case with the Pinks and Carnations. Cut- 
tings of many plants will take root, with proper care. 

Soil. — Different species of plants require rather different 
kinds of soil ; but a light, rich loam will suit the greater part 
of plants. 

Temperature. — Hardy, half-hardy, and green-house plants 
require similar care, except the amount of protection or 
quantity of heat, to bring them into the most perfect state. 

ANNUALS. 

The plants generally known as annuals, are raised from the 
seed, perfect their flowers, mature their seed the same season, 
and then perish. There are some flowers, however, cultivated 
as annuals, that are such only in a northern climate, being in 
their own more congenial region perennials, or biennials. 
Among them are the Verbena, Chriseis, or Eschscholtzia, as it 
was formerly called, Commelina, Mirabilis, and many others. 
This class of annuals maybe kept through the winter in green- 
houses or in any light cellars. Annuals are most appropriate 
for those who are changing their abode from year to year, as 
from these alone a fine display may be kept up the whole sea- 



ANNUALS. 37 

son, with the exception of the vernal months, and this deficiency- 
may be supplied by having' a choice collection of perennials, 
grown in pots, which can be plunged in the ground, and thus 
removed at any time when it is necessary to change the resi- 
dence. 

No collection of plants can be perfect without an abundance 
of annuals, as they can be disposed of in such a way as to suc- 
ceed the perennials, and keep up a continuous bloom in all 
parts of the garden through the season. 

Annuals may be divided as follows : — hardy, half-hardy, 
and tender. 

Hardy annuals are such as may be sown in autumn or very 
early in the spring, as all the Larkspurs, Chriseis, Clarkea, 
Asters, Candytufts, &c. Half-hardy are those which will not 
bear a hard frost, and therefore not proper to plant in the open 
ground before the middle or last of May, as the Balsam, Cocks- 
comb, Marigold, &c. Tender annuals can hardly be brought 
to perfection without starting them in artificial heat, in a hot- 
bed or otherwise, and are very sensitive of cold, as the Cypress 
vine, Thunbergia, Ice Plant, Sensitive Plant, &c. Many of 
these, in a very warm season, will succeed tolerably well if 
planted about the 1st of June ; but to have them in perfection 
they should be raised in a hot-bed, in pots, and turned out in 
the ground the middle of June. 

Before sowing annuals, the soil in which they are to be 
grown should be made light and rich, and very finely pulver- 
ized, as many of the seeds are very small, and require every 
advantage and care to get them up. The small seeds must 
receive but little covering, and that of the finest earth. In 
sowing these, my practice is to sow them in patches six or 
eight inches square. The soil having been well prepared, I 
settle the ground gently with the foot or a small piece of board, 
so as to make an even, somewhat firm, surface. The seeds are 
then evenly strewed over the surface. Then take some very 
fine soil and sift or strew over them, covering the seed not 
more than one eighth of an inch deep, after which press the 
4 



38 breck's book of flowers, 

soil again with the board gently. It is now of great importance 
that the seeds, as they vegetate, should be protected from the 
scorching sun ; an evergreen bough is as good as anything to 
shade them. The soil must not be permitted to get dry until 
the young plants have acquired some strength ; after which 
they may be left to take their chance from the effects of sun or 
dryness. When the plants are of a proper size, and the weather 
suitable, they may be taken up with a transplanting trowel, 
and set where wanted. A small patch of this description will 
afford plants enough for any common garden. In removing 
them, a number may be taken up together without disturbing 
the roots; but when the plants have become established, all 
may be cut off except the strongest ones. As a general rule, a 
sino-le plant gives better satisfaction than when a number are 
o-rown together, except when planted in masses, or where there 
is to be a group. The beauty of many annuals is completely 
destroyed by huddling them together. Give every plant room 
according to its habits. A single plant, well trained, may be 
made very beautiful; while a number of the same species, 
grown together, without sufficient room, would be worthless. 

Larkspur, and many other seeds, should be sown where they 
are to remain. A bed of Double Rocket Larkspur, well man- 
aged, is almost equal to a bed of Hyacinths, when in bloom. 
This succeeds best when sown late in autumn or very early in 
the spring. The seed may be sown in drills, eight or ten inches 
apart, in beds, and the plants well thinned out. Larkspur, and 
many other hardy annual seeds, if sown late in autumn, and lie 
dormant all winter, will give much stronger plants than the 
same kinds of seed sown very early in the spring, notwith- 
standing those sown in the spring may appear above ground 
as soon as those sown in autumn. The reason probably is, 
that the autumnal sown seeds are so prepared, by the action 
of the frost, that they start with greater vigor, and consequently 
are more robust than the spring-soAvn seeds. 

Some seeds are difficult to germinate. Cypress vine is an 
example. This requires scalding, to facilitate its germination ; 



ANNTTALS. 39 

or, if the hull is carefully taken off with a penknife, so as not 
to injure the germ, the object is effected, and it will imme- 
diately vegetate. The seeds of Gomphrena globosa (Globe 
Amaranth) is encased in a thick coating of woolly substance, 
which greatly retards vegetation. This, with the hull, if taken 
off", causes the germ to push immediately ; or, if the seed is 
soaked in milk twenty -four hours, it will soon start; but, if 
planted with the coating on, or without soaking, very few will 
appear above ground. 

As a general rule, the depth of planting flower seeds is to 
be governed by the size. For example, the Sweet Pea and 
Lupine may be planted an inch deep, and so in proportion. An- 
nuals have a pleasing effect when planted in masses, particu- 
larly when the pleasure-ground is extensive. For this purpose, 
the Verbenas, of various colors, Portulaccas, Nemophylla, 
Chriseis, Phlox Drummondii, Coreopsis Drummondii, Candy- 
tufts, and many other dwarf plants, are desirable. Beds of 
any of these, or others of similar habit, in a well-managed grass 
lawn, are very ornamental. The beds should be either round, 
oval, starry, or irregular; but never square, diamond shape, or 
triangular. Masses of annuals may be so arranged as to make 
a grand display in the common flower-garden. We have seen 
the walks of an extensive flower-garden deeply edged with a 
wide border of crimson and scarlet Portulaccas; and, throughout 
the whole garden, all the annuals, and other plants, in fact, 
were planted in masses. We have never seen a better managed 
garden than this one. It contained about an acre of ground. 
Not more than twenty or thirty kinds of annuals were cultivated 
in the garden, and of this class of plants more than one half 
of the ground was filled. They consisted of every variety of 
Double Balsams, German Asters, Drummond Phlox, Coreopsis, 
Amaranths, Verbenas, Portulaccas, Double China Pinks, Petu- 
nias, Mignionette, Cockscombs, Gilliflowers, &c. 



ON THE CULTURE OF HARDY DECIDUOUS 
AND EVERGREEN SHRUBS. 

" I like a shrubbery, too, it looks so fresh ; 
And then there is some variety about it. 
In spring, the Lilac and the Snowball flower, 
And the Laburnum, with its golden strings 
Waving in the wind ; and when the autumn comes, 
The bright red berries of the Mountain-ash, 
With pines enough, in winter, to look green, 
And show that something lives." 

The flower-garden will be incomplete without a shrubbery. 
A collection of shrubs and trees, embracing the different vari- 
eties to be obtained at our nurseries, will add much to the 
interest of the pleasure-ground. They should not be planted 
at regular distances, or in straight lines, as in that way they 
look too set and unnatural ; but, when grouped together, the 
various sorts gracefully intermingled with the taller species in 
the background, they present, at all seasons of the year, an 
interesting sight. 

Shrubs are divided into two classes — Deciduous and Ever- 
green. Deciduous shrubs are those which lose their leaves in 
autumn. However uninteresting the naked branches of this 
class of shrubs may appear, to the careless observer, when 
denuded of their foliage, they are not devoid of beauty to the 
lovers of nature ; but, when mingled with evergreens, are 
pleasing even in winter. The twigs of some species are red ; 
others yellow, or various shades of brown; and then many 
species are covered with a profusion of berries, of different col- 
ors, which, contrasting with the evergreens, give a lively look 
to the shrubbery, even in the most dreary months. 

The culture of hardy shrubs is, in general, simple and easy. 
The chief things to be noticed are, — the proper season for 
planting, the situation in which the plants will thrive, the 



HARDY DECIDUOUS AND EVERGREEN SHRUBS. 41 

kind of soil best suited to their growth, and the encouragement 
given to enable them to thrive afterwards. 

The proper Seasoyi for Planting. — As soon as the leaves 
begin to fall, in October, deciduous trees may be planted with 
safety, w^ith few exceptions. Altheas, and some other sorts 
liable to be winter-killed, had better not be removed until 
spring. The spring planting, of all deciduous trees and shrubs, 
should be done as early as possible, — as soon as the ground 
can be worked to advantage, and before the buds begin to 
expand. 

Evergreens, in general, if carefully taken up, may be planted 
with success in any season of the year, provided dull and 
dripping weather be taken advantage of for that purpose. 
There are particular seasons, however, when they will thrive 
with much greater freedom than at others. I have been as 
successful about the first of June as at any other time, and 
have also succeeded in planting, the 1st of July, and in August; 
but, as a general rule, when they commence their growth, the 
last of May. It is indispensable that all large trees and shrubs 
be removed with good balls, and that the roots be uninjured. 
In planting evergreens, (and the same may be said of deciduous 
trees,) whether it be done on a dull day, a wet day, or a dry 
day, it is very necessary to keep in view the expediency of 
keeping the plants for as short time out of the ground as pos- 
sible, — if only a few minutes, so much the better. If any 
quantity are to be planted, the plants should be " heeled in," as 
it is termed, (that is, the roots covered with earth,) and taken 
out, as they are wanted. I have generally been successful, 
without watering as I planted ; but others think it necessary, 
and one writer says : — 

" In all seasons, situations, and soils, the plants should be 
well soaked with water as soon as the earth is put about the 
roots. Where the water is not at hand, so that it may not be 
easily carried or wheeled by men, a horse with a water-barrel 
on wheels should be used. As soon as the plant has been put 
into its place the earth should be filled in, leaving a sufficient 
4* 



42 bkeck's book of flowers. 

hollow round the stem, and as far as the roots extend, to hold 
water, which should then be poured on in sufficient quantity to 
soak the ground down to the lowest parts of the roots ; in 
short, the whole should be made like a kind of puddle. 

" By this practice, which is particularly necessaiy in spring 
and autumn planting, the earth is carried down by the- water, 
and every crevice among the roots is filled. Care must always 
be taken to have as much earth above the roots of the plants 
as will prevent their being exposed when the water has sub- 
sided. The best plan is to take an old birch broom, or any- 
thing similar, and, laying it down near the root, pour the water 
upon it ; this breaks the fall of the water, and prevents the 
roots from being washed bare of such earth as may adhere to 
them. In this way time is saved, for the water may be poured 
out in a full stream from the pail, a Watering-pot, or even from 
a spout or pipe in the water-cart or barrel, when the situation 
is such that this can be brought up to the plant. 

" After the first watering is dried up, the earth should be 
levelled round the stem of the plant, and as far out as the 
water has been put on, but not trod. If the plants are large, a 
second watering is sometimes necessary ; but in ordinary sized 
plants, one watering is quite sufficient. And, after remaining 
twenty-four hours, more or less, according to the nature of the 
soil, the earth about the stem and over the roots should be 
trod as firm as possible, and, after treading, should be dressed 
with a rake." 

" The Situations in which the plants loill thrive. — With 
regard to the situation in which each shrub should be planted, 
little can be said here. To form a correct judgment of this, a 
knowledge of the natural habits of each is required. This 
knowledge may be easily obtained by referring to a botanical 
catalogue and other works treating on the subject. Some 
shrubs love a dry and elevated situation, and will not thrive, 
crowded with others ; some are rather tender, and must have 
warm and sheltered places ; others are very hardy, and will 
thrive planted anywhere ; others, again, will not grow freely, 



HARDY DECIDUOUS AND EVERGREEN SHRUBS. 43 

unless they are placed in low, damp ground ; and others do not 
flourish if much exposed to the rays of the sun. 

" The kind of Soil best suited for them. — With respect to 
soil, hardy shrubs may be divided into two kinds, viz., first, 
shrubs requiring common soil; and, second, those shrubs con- 
stituting the American garden. A rich, light, hazel loam, 
undoubtedly suits the greater part of the first class of plants, 
although many of the stronger-growing kinds will make fine 
bushes on almost any kind of soil. The American plants, 
Kalmias, Rhododendrons, Aiidromedas. &c., &c.,make the finest 
plants and the best show, if they are planted in a soil com- 
posed for the most part of sandy peat ; but, in the absence of 
this, a very good compost may be made for them of light 
hazelly loam, river sand, and vegetable or leaf mould, equal 
parts, or a little peat earth mixed with it. After having taken 
out the original soil from the proposed border to about a foot 
and a half deep, substitute the above mixture in its place. 

" To encourage the growth of the Shriibs after being 'planted. 
— Whilst the plants are small, constantly keep down all rank- 
growing weeds, and clear off all rubbish that would otherwise 
retard their growth ; also they receive much benefit by the sur- 
face of the ground being often stirred with a Dutch hoe, as it 
prevents the surface baking hard in dry weather." 

"Watering shrubs, except in peculiar situations, during dry 
summers, appears to be of very little if any benefit ; on the 
other hand, it takes up much time, and is the means of the 
ground baking hard when dried by the sun again. When they 
have advanced to a large size, all the care that is required is to 
cut off the overhanging branches, so as not to allow them to 
smother each other, or the stems of those overhung will become 
naked and unsightly. 



A DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF BULBOUS-ROOTED PLANTS, WITH 
DIRECTIONS FOR THEIR CULTIVATION. 



" Fair-handed Spring unbosoms every grace ; 
Throws out the Snow-drop and the Crocus first j 
The Daisy, Primrose, Violet darkly blue, 
And Polyanthus of unnumbered dyes ; 
The yellow Wall-flower stained with iron-brown, 
And lavish stock that scents the garden round." 



ANEMONE. 

Wind Flower - Garden Anemone. 

" See ! yon Anemones their leaves unfold, 
With rubies flaming, and with living gold." 

Very little attention has been paid, in this section of the 
country, to the cultivation of this most beautiful flower, from 
the fact, probably, that it will not stand our winters, unless 
planted in a frame, or otherwise protected. With this precau- 
tion, and some little attention, it will abundantly repay all the 
labor that may be bestowed upon it. 

I have succeeded very well, in its cultivation, by keeping the 
roots out of ground until March, and then planting them in a 
bed prepared in the fall, that had been kept covered till the 
time of planting. The roots of Anemones are solid, flattened 
masses, like those of ginger, and, like them, are multiplied by 
divisions of the root. 

The Anemone hortensis, or garden Anemone, is the species 
from which all the fine varieties of the florist's flowers origi- 
nated. More than one hundred and fifty choice varieties are 
enumerated in some of the Dutch catalogues of the present 
day, classed as follows : — red, or blood color ; rosy and white, 
flamed with purplo j sky blue ; purple or ash color ; rosy, with 



ANEMONE. 45 

green, and white, and agate. One hundred choicest varieties 
may be obtained for 50 francs, or about SIO. 

A fine double Anemone should stand upon a strong, elastic, 
and erect stem, not less than nine inches high. The blossom, 
or corolla, should be at least two and a half inches in diameter. 
The outer petals, or guard leaves, should be substantial, well 
rounded, at first horizontally extended, and then turning a little 
upwards, so as to form a broad, shallow cup, the interior part 
of which should contain a great number of long, small petals, 
imbricating each other, and rather reverting from the centre of 
the blossom. There are a great number of small stamens 
intermixed with these petals, but they are short, and not easily 
discernible. The color should be clear and distinct when 
diversified in the same flower, or brilliant and striking if it 
consists only of one color, as blue, crimson, or scarlet, &c., in 
which case the bottom of the broad exterior petals is generally 
white ; but the beauty and contrast are greatly increased when 
both the exterior and interior petals are regularly marked with 
alternate blue and white, or pink and white stripes, &c., which 
in the broad petals should not extend quite to the margin. 

Propagation. — By dividing the roots for the fine sorts, and 
by seed for new varieties. 

Soil aiid Situation. — The situation should be open, but not 
exposed to currents of air. As to the soil to grow them in, 
various are the composts prescribed by florists. They require 
a fresh, strong, rich, loamy soil, Hogg recommends fresh 
loam, with a considerable portion of rotten horse or cow dung. 
The bed should be dug eighteen inches deep, and filled with 
the rich compost, a little above the level of the walk ; then lay 
a stratum of good rich mould, two inches deep, over the com- 
post, on which to plant the roots, as the dung or very rich 
compost in contact with the roots would prove injurious rather 
than beneficial. 

Planting. — After the bed is thus prepared, and has stood 
long enough to settle, the frame should be placed upon it. 
Fall planting is much the best, if the bed can be kept from 



48 breck's book of flowers. 

very severe frost, or if not kept so warm as to start the foliage. 
Late fall or early spring planting is the best. 

The roots should be planted in rows six inches apart, and 
the same distance from each other in the rows. A little care 
is necessary, in planting, to place the roots right-side up. By 
close examination, the eyes, from which the stems and flowers 
are to proceed, can be distinguished, which, of course, must be 
planted uppermost. After the roots are placed on the bed, 
they must be carefully covered two inches deep with good 
sound garden mould. This is the proper depth. When the 
bed is all completed, the surface should be three or four inches 
above the walk. They will be in flower in June, and, if shaded 
from the sun, will continue to display their beauties a long 
time. 

Taking up the Roots. — When the foliage begins to turn 
brown and dry, the roots should be taken up and dried in the 
shade. When properly dried and kept from moisture, they 
may be kept out of ground two or three years without injury. 



AMARYLLIS. 

Amaryllis formosissima, or Jacobean Lily, is a flower of great 
beauty. It is a tender bulb, but succeeds well when planted 
in May, in the open border, in a rich, sandy soil. The top of 
the bulb should hardly be covered with earth. The flowers 
are large and of a very deep red. The under petals hang 
down, the upper curl up, and the whole flower stands nodding 
on one side of the stalk, making a fine appearance. The bulb 
rarely produces more than two flowers, and more frequently 
but one, about one foot high, flowering in June or July. Upon 
the approach of freezing weather, the bulbs must be taken up, 
dried, and put away in dry sawdust, where they will be secure 
from frost. 



CROCUS — DAHLIA. 47 



CROCUS. 



" Glad as the spring, when the first Crocus comes 
To laugh amid the shower." 

The Spring Crocus is a very common bulbous-rooted plant, 
of which there are many varieties annually imported from 
Holland, and sold at very low prices. The most prominent 
sorts are the great yellow, deep blue, light blue, white with 
blue stripes, blue with white stripes, white with a purple 
base, pure white, cloth of gold, &c. It flowers in April, and 
in warm seasons, in sheltered places, frequently in March. 
Where there is a plenty of them, they make a magnificent 
show. The bulbs are small, solid, and flat. They should be 
planted, in September or October, about one inch or one and a 
half inch deep, in any good garden soil. They are very hardy, 
and the only difficulty is their liability to be thrown out by the 
frost, when the ground is bare, towards spring. To remedy 
this evil, some light substance should be thrown over them, to 
shade them from the action of the sun. After flowering, when 
the leaves have decayed, the roots may be taken up, and kept, 
until they are wanted to plant in autumn, in some cool, dry 
place ; or they may remain in the ground a number of years 
without removino-. 



DAHLIA. 

" In queenly elegance the Dahlia stands, 
Aud waves her coronet." 

The Dahlia is a native of Mexico, found on the table land;- 
of that country, and I have sometimes wished it had been lei 
alone there, "to waste its sweets on the desert air." It is so 
capricious in its flowering, so subject to the ravages of insects, 
so much influenced by too much heat, or too much dryness, or 
too much wet ; and then, just as it begins to give promise of 



48 breck's book of flowers. 

abundant bloom, having escaped all the casualties of the 
season, is cut down by the frost, and becomes a blackened, 
hideous object in the garden; that, after many disappointed 
hopes, I have sometimes been disposed to say, I would not try 
it again. It must be confessed, however, it is on some accounts 
desirable : the flowers are large, gorgeous in color, sporting into 
every tint except blue. The shape, too, is perfect, although a 
little too set and prim, as though it was made for the occasion. 
The habits of the plant are coarse and vulgar, and the smell 
thereof rather repulsive ; but, with all its failings, it is a popular 
flower, — one which will find favor with the multitude. 

It was first introduced into England in the year 1789, was 
but little noticed, and soon lost. It was reintroduced in 1S04, 
then a single purple flower of not much interest. It is only 
within the last twenty years that it has received the attention 
of the florist. From the single purple and scarlet varieties, all 
the numerous family of florists' flowers have been produced ; a 
striking example of what may be done by patience and perse- 
verance in the skilful cultivation of a simple flower. 

The root is tuberous and tender. Freezing destroys it at 
once ; it can, therefore, be planted only in the spring. 

Propagation. — It is propagated by seeds, divisions of the 
root, and by cuttings. 

By Seed. — If the seed is sown in a hot-bed, in April, and 
the plants set out in the open ground in June, most of them 
will flower the same season, and though not one in a hundred 
or thousand may come up to the standard of a perfect flower, 
yet it is very interesting to mark the curious sports which are 
often made in these seedings. Many of them will make a 
greater show in the shrubbery than the more perfect sorts. 
What is lacking in shape and size, is made up in the profu- 
sion of bloom. 

By Divisions of the Root. — This is the most common mode 
of propagation, unless it be with the nursery-man, who raises 
from cuttings. It is best to place the roots, or stool, as it is called, 
before divided, on gentle heat, if the buds have not started; or 



DAHLIA. 49 

cover them over with a little earth, in a warm place, the begin- 
ning of May, so as to start the buds before the roots are 
divided. Without this course, it will be impossible to divide 
the tubers so as to be sure of a bud on each ; and without a bud 
a tuber is worthless. The buds having appeared, clean the 
roots from soil, and with a sharp knife divide the stool in such 
a manner that a bud may be secured to each division. The 
smallest tuber, with a bud, will make a strong plant. 

By Cuttings. — This process requires so much care and 
attention, that I must refer my readers to works on the subject 
of propagation. 

Plants raised by cuttings have never succeeded so well with 
me as from divisions of the root. The reason may be, that in 
the propagation of new varieties, in the desire to realize as 
much as possible, weak shoots are taken, and forced so rapidly, 
and become so attenuated and weakened, that they never 
recover. True it is, that, after paying extravagant prices for 
new sorts, 1 have frequently been disappointed in not having 
a single bloom; and, what is worse, the roots may not get 
strength enough to stand through the winter, even with the 
greatest care. 

Soil and Cultivation. — Too much has been said and written 
upon the cultivation of the Dahlia. After following the direc- 
tions given by various amateurs and writers, and after taking 
much pains and care in cultivation, I have been chagrined to 
find that the refuse of my roots, planted without care, and very 
little manure, in yellow loamy soil, have far outstripped those 
on which more abundant pains had been bestowed. The 
Dahlia likes a humid atmosphere, such as we rarely have in 
this country. It frequently begins to flower, and promises 
well in July, but on the last of that month and August our 
scorching sun and arid atmosphere, together with the insects 
that prey upon it, operate so unfavorably that it hardly recovers 
before it is overtaken with frost. While I resided in Lancas- 
ter, my garden was situated on the banks of a branch of the 
Nashua River. In hot weather, a damp or mist rose from the 
5 



50 breck's book of flowers. 

river every night, and gave my Dahlia plants a good wetting. 
I did not have any difficulty then with the Dahlia ; it flowered 
in great profusion, having had nearly one hundred blooms 
upon a plant at one time. The mode of cultivation then was : 
first, a hole excavated two or three feet across, and about fifteen 
inches deep, the poor soil taken out, and its place supplied with 
the adjoining surface soil, then about two shovelfuls of strong 
manure, partly decomposed, from the stable, thrown in and 
well incorporated with the soil; then the stake for the support 
of the plant firmly fixed in the ground; then the surface 
levelled, and all was ready for planting. If tubers are used 
without being forced, they may be planted any time after the 
middle of May, covering the crown of the tuber about two 
inches, slanting the other end downwards. Plants, raised in 
pots or cuttings, may be turned into the ground any time in 
June. I have succeeded in producing fine flowers from dry 
tubers planted the first of July. As a general rule, let the soil 
be rich and deep; let the plants be well attended to by tying 
up to the stake, — which should be strong, and from five to six 
feet above the surface. As the plants advance, syringe the 
foliage every night in dry weather; sift over the plants fine 
air-slacked lime to kill the insects, if you can ; mulch the 
ground about them; give them guano-water twice a week in 
August; and, if you are rewarded for your pains, it is more 
than I have been in most seasons. 

Dahlias look best when planted in groups, as they hide each 
other's ugliness, and if theij flower, and a variety of colors 
be combined in the group, they make a very imposing appear- 
ance. 

Taking up a7id Preserving the Roots. — When the first frost 
strikes the Dahlias so as to blacken the plant, a few inches of 
soil should be added to the crown of the plant, to prevent the 
tubers from being injured by freezing, Avhich might happen 
unexpectedly some cold night. Taking some pleasant day, the 
last of October or the first of November, the tops of the plants 
should be cut down near the ground, and the stakes pulled up. 



FERRARIA. 51 

Then very carefully lift the roots from the ground. This is 
best done by two persons, with spades, operating on each side 
of the roots, as when taken from the ground they are very brittle 
and easily broken off. Let them be carefully deposited on the 
surface, where they should remain during the day exposed to 
the sun and air. Before night sets in, they should be removed 
to a dry, airy cellar, and deposited on shelves raised a few feet 
from the cellar bottom; here they will remain with perfect 
safety, provided they can have a little air occasionally in 
pleasant weather. They should, however, be placed singly on 
the shelves; as, when they are packed close, or one upon 
another, they are liable to mould and decay. The most danger 
to be apprehended is from excessive dampness ; but sometimes 
roots kept in a cellar where there is a furnace, may be 
injured by excessive dryness, and the roots become shrivelled 
and dried. There is no danger from rats or mice or any other 
creature. I never knew an animal to touch them. You could 
not catch an old rat even to smell of them the second time. 



FERRARIA. 

Tiger Flower. 

The Mexican Tiger Flower, or Ferraria pavonia, and F. 
conchiflora, are flowers of exquisite beauty. The bulbs are 
tunicated, producing from one to four stems each, from eigh- 
teen inches to two feet high ; the flowers are of short duration. 
It is born to display its glory but for a few hours, when the 
sun totally destroys all vestiges of its beauty ; but, to compen- 
sate for this sudden decline, it continues to produce its flowers 
a number of weeks. The shape of the flower is singularly 
curious, and the coloring of each variety gorgeous. The 
flowers of the first-named variety are of the richest scarlet 
imaginable, variegated with a bright golden yellow. The 
ground-work of F. conchijlora is of the richest orange, varie- 



SS breck's book of flowers. 

gated with light yellow, and spotted with black. No flower 
can exceed it in beauty ; but nature does not lavish all her 
sweets upon one flower ; — in this there is no scent. The 
flowers are large, and produced in July and August. It is 
properly a green-house plant, but is easily cultivated in the 
open air. The bulbs should be planted about the middle of 
May, about two inches deep, in any rich garden-soil, and 
require no particular care. The bulbs and offsets should 
be taken up in October, and dried ; but be particular not to 
expose them to frost while drying, or at any other time, as that 
would destroy them. They may be kept in dry sand, saw- 
dust, or moss, until the time of planting in the spring. The 
mice are very fond of the roots, and, if they find them, but few, 
if any, will be left to plant. 



FRITILLARIA. 

FrUillary. 

The Crown Imperial, or Fritillai'ia imperialis, is supposed 
to be a native of Persia. There are many varieties ; all hand- 
some, varying in color; viz., bright yellow, scarlet, orange 
scarlet, double red, double yellow, gold-striped-leaved, silver- 
striped-leaved, &c. This species is less esteemed than its 
beauty merits, on account of its strong, and, to some, its disa- 
greeable scent. It flowers in April ; the bulb throws up a 
strong, vigorous stem, three or four feet high, producing near the 
top a crown of beautiful, drooping, bell-shaped flowers, making 
a very conspicuous object at a season when but few flowers 
grace the garden. Above the crown of flowers the stem ter- 
minates in a tuft of its glossy green foliage. The nectaries are 
very curious ; each cell, six in number, contains a large drop, 
which looks like a brilliant pearl. When the flower decays, 
the seed-vessels take the reverse of the flower, and stand erect. 
The bulbs are large and fleshy, somewhat solid : they do not 



GALANTHUS. 53 

keep well long out of the ground. When the stem dies down, 
the root should be taken up and replanted, if necessary ; but 
this need not be done oftener than once in four or five years. 
They should be planted four inches deep, in a rich, deep garden 
soil. 

The Persian Fritillary or Persian Lily, {Fritillaria Persica,) 
bears a spike of brownish-purple flowers, growing at the top of 
the stem in the form of a pyramid ; they open in May ; stems 
three feet high ; bulb similar to the last, except more elon- 
gated. To be treated in every way like the Crown Imperial. 

The Common Fritillary, or Chequered Lily, [F. melegaris,) 
is sometimes called the Guinea Hen Flower, on account of its 
chequered or spotted flowers. There are many varieties ; the 
colors, various shades of brown, purple, and yellow, curiously 
mottled, spotted or chequered. The bulbs are about the size 
of the crocus roots, of the character of the other fritillary bulbs, 
but more flattened; stems eight or ten inches high, with one or 
more gracefully-drooping, bell-shaped flowers, in April or May; 
to be planted in groups in good garden soil, two inches deep. 
They should not be kept long out of the ground. 



GALANTHUS. 

Snow-Drop. 

" Already now the Snow-drop dares appear. 
The first pale blossom of the unripened year ; 
And Flora's breath, by some transforming power, 
Had changed an icicle into a flower." 

Galanthus nivalis. — The Snow-drop is the earliest flower of 
all the garden tribe, and will even show her head above the 
snow, as if to prove her rivalry with whiteness. Every third 
year the roots should be taken up, in June or July, when the 
leaves are decayed and kept in a dry place till August, when 
they should be replanted. The bulbs are very small. To 
5"* 



54 breck's book of flowers. 

make them look well and to produce a pretty effect when in 
bloom, about twenty should be planted together in a clump, one 
and one half or two inches deep. There is a variety with 
double flowers ; both sorts desirable ; about six inches high in 
March and April. 

" The Snow-drop, who, in habit white and plain, 
Comes on, the herald of fair Flora's train." 

There is a flower called the Leticojtcm, or Great Snow-Drop, 
very similar to this, but twice the size. Of this there are three 
kinds: the Spring, the Summer, and the Autumnal Snow-drop. 
The bulbs are much larger; should be planted five inches from 
each other, four inches deep. " We look upon the snow-drop 
as a friend in adversity, sure to appear when most needed." 

" Lone flower, hemmed in with snows, and white as they." 



GLADIOLUS. 
Corn-Flag. 

Gladiolus communis is a hardy, showy border-flower, of 
which there are several varieties in cultivation, viz., Avhite, 
purple, and red. They should be planted in October, on a rich 
sandy soil, about two and a half inches deep, and require 
little protection, except the purple variety. They have a flag- 
like foliage, and produce their flowers on long, one-sided 
spikes, or racemes, about two feet high, in June and July. The 
bulbs have some resemblance to those of the crocus, and 
are treated in the same way. 

Gladiolus hyzanteum is also hardy, and requires the same 
treatment ; flowers purplish-red. The Gladiolus family in- 
cludes many brilliant species and varieties ; most of them 
green-house plants. Many of them, however, succeed well in 
the open ground, when planted in the border in May ; but it is 
necessary to take them up in October, and keep the roots dry. 



HYACINTHS. 55 

and from the frost, till the time of planting again. All the 
species delight in a rich, light, sandy loam, and should not be 
planted more than one and a half inch under the surface. 

Gladiolus natalensis, called by some psittacinus, has not 
been known many years among us, and was considered, when 
first introduced, as being very superb; but it has such a pro- 
pensity to increase, that it has become very common, and is 
now looked upon with indifference. The flowers are scarlet, 
on a greenish-yellow ground, produced in long, one-sided 
spikes; the stems sometimes four feet high, with fifteen or 
twenty buds and blooms. In perfection in August. 

G. natale?isis has, within a few years, been eclipsed by the 
magnificent variety, G. gandavensis, producing long spikes of 
the most vivid scarlet flowers. I have had flowering stems 
four and five feet high, which threw out a succession of spikes 
of its rich and brilliant blossoms. 

G. Jloribunda is another beautiful species, with a profusion 
of delicate pink flowers, marked with purple, about two or 
three feet high, in August. The treatment of all the tender vari- 
eties is similar ; if they are planted in pots, forwarded in a 
hot bed, and turned into the open ground in June, they flower 
earlier, and grow stronger. 

There are other beautiful species and varieties, one of which 
is G. cardinalis, with scarlet flowers spotted with white, but 
most of them do not succeed well in the open ground. 



HYACINTHUS. 

Garden Hyacinth. 

" Hyacinth, with sapphire bell 
Curling backwards." 

" The youths whose locks divinely spreading, 
Like vernal Hyacinths in sullen hue." 

The Hyacinth is a highly esteemed florist's flower, of easy 
culture, of which more than one thousand varieties are culti- 



56 breck's book of flowers. 

vated in Holland, forming quite an important item in the exports 
of that country, and from whence. Great Britain, the United 
States, and all Europe, receive their annual supplies, and, in 
fact, all parts of the world. Hyacinths are double and single ; 
of various colors, embracing every shade of red, from a deep 
crimson pink down to white ; of blue, from white to almost black, 
and some few yellow and salmon color ; but the shades of yel- 
low are not very brilliant, and appear yellow only in contrast with 
the white. Some of the white, and other light varieties, have 
red, blue, purple or yellow eyes, which add much to the beauty 
of the flower ; and others are more or less striped or shaded ; 
and some are tipped with green. The double varieties are 
generally considered the finest, but many of the single sorts 
are equally desirable, as what is deficient in the size of the bell 
is made up in the greater number of them ; some of the single 
sorts are the richest in color. 

The stem of a fine double Hyacinth should be strong, tall, 
and erect, supporting numerous large bells, each suspended by 
a short and strong peduncle, or foot-stalk, in a horizontal posi- 
tion, so that the whole may have a compact pyramidal form, 
with the crown, or uppermost bell, perfectly erect. 

The bells should be large and very double ; that is, well 
filled with broad petals, appearing to the eye rather convex, than 
flat or hollow ; they should occupy about one half the length 
of the stem. 

The colors should be clear and bright, whether plain red, 
white, or blue, or variously intermixed, or diversified in the 
eye ; the latter, it must be confessed, gives additional lustre 
and elegance to this beautiful flower. 

Strong bright colors are, in general, preferred to such as are 
pale ; there are, however, many rose-colored, pure white, and 
light blue Hyacinths, in high estimation. Hyacinths begin to 
flower the last of April in this climate, and, if shaded by an 
awning from hot suns, may be kept in perfection the greater 
part of a month. They never require watering at any season ; 
keep them free from weeds ; as the stems advance in height, 



HyACINTHS. 57 

they should be supported by having small sticks, or wires, 
painted green, stuck into the ground back of the bulb, to which 
they should be neatly tied ; otherwise, they are liable to fall 
down by the weight of the bells, and, as the stem is very brittle, 
it is sometimes broken off when exposed to storms. 

The most suitable time to plant Hyacinths is in October and 
November. The finer sorts will appear to the best advantage 
in beds, while the more common varieties may be distributed 
about the borders where most convenient. The dimensions of 
the bed should be marked out, and the soil taken entirely away 
to the depth of two feet ; the earth on the bottom should then 
be dug and well pulverized, and the space above filled with the 
following compost : — 

" One third river or sea sand; one third fresh, sound earth ; 
one fourth rotten cow dung, at least two years old ; and one 
twelfth of earth, of decayed leaves, or decayed peat. The fresh, 
sound earth of the compost should be of the best quality of 
what is called virgin soil, or that obtained from pastures or the 
roadside, well rotted; or, if that is not obtainable, the best garden 
mould, free from noxious vermin of every description. These 
ingredients should be well mixed and incorporated a considera- 
ble time before wanted. About ten days before planting, the 
bed should be filled up with the compost, even with the path, 
or so as to be even when the roots are set. The surface of the 
bed should be raked perfectly smooth before planting, and the 
exact situation for every bulb marked on it as follows : — 

RBWRBWRBW 
WRBWRBWRB 

RBWRBWRBW 
WRBWRBWRB 

RBWRBWRBW 
WRBWRBWRB 

The letters r, b, w, denote the color of the flower to be planted 
there, viz., red, blue, or white ; under these heads, all Hya- 



58 breck's book of flowers. 

cinths may be comprehended, except a few yellow sorts, which 
may be classed with the white." The bed should be four feet 
wide ; the bulbs to be planted eight inches distant from each 
other in the rows, and to be covered four inches deep. First 
place about one inch of fine sand where each root is to be 
placed, then press the bulb into the soil nearly its whole thick- 
ness, and cover it completely with fine clean sand. Having 
completed the planting, the Avhole may be covered with sound, 
fresh, sandy earth, four inches deep. Before winter sets in, 
Hyacinths should be covered a few inches deep with leaves, 
straw, meadow hay, or any other light substances ; they are, 
however, perfectly hardy, but the bloom is more perfect when 
thus covered. In selecting bulbs, be careful to procure good 
sound roots ; for an imperfect root is not worth planting, and 
many there are, sold every year by thousands, at auction, which 
are generally the refuse of the Dutch gardens. A good root is 
perfectly hard, and bright, without specks of rot upon it, and 
one that has not pushed a bud. Roots of the finest varieties 
can be purchased for fifteen to twenty dollars per hundred, with 
their names and colors ; and very fair sorts for less ; and 
mixed sorts, with colors distinct, from six to ten dollars. 

In about one month after the bloom is over, and the foliage 
begins to turn yellow, the bulbs may be taken up, cutting off the 
flower stems, but not the foliage, and, having prepared a slop- 
ing bed of light earth, the bulbs may be laid upon it, so as not 
to touch, with the foliage downwards, covering the roots and 
fibres with earth. Here they remain till the bulbs are suffi- 
ciently ripened, which will be in about one fortnight, when 
they may be taken up, and, after they have been dried, cleaned 
from the fibres, soil, &c., then wrapped up in papers, dry 
sand, or dry sawdust, and kept in a dry place until wanted for 
use. Or the roots may remain in the bed until the foliage has 
completely dried down, and then taken up, dried and cleaned, 
as before stated. 

The Starry Hyacinth, or Scilla Peruviana, is a very pretty 
bulbous-rooted plant, with dark blue starry fiowers in May 



IRIS. 59 

and June, worthy a place in the border in large collections of 
plants, — nine inches high. 

The Grape Hyacinth, Muscari moschatum, is a pretty, 
hardy, bulbous-rooted plant, with dark, light blue, or white 
flowers, having a strong smell of musk. M. monstrosum^ or 
Feathered Hyacinth, is a most ornamental, hardy border flower; 
the bulb is large, ovate and solid ; the leaves narrow, a foot 
long, with obtuse points ; the flower-stalks rise nearly a foot and 
a half high ; they are naked at the bottom for about seven or 
eight inches, above which the panicles of flowers begin, and 
terminate the stalks. The flowers stand upon the peduncles, 
which are more than an inch long, each sustaining three, four, 
or five flowers, whose petals are cut into slender filaments, like 
hairs ; they are of a purplish-blue color, and, having neither 
stamens nor germs, never produce seeds, ikf. lotryoides is 
another pretty species, with varieties of blue, white, and flesh- 
colored flowers, all small, bulbous-rooted plants, obtained from 
Holland as species of Hyacinths, with solid bulbs, producing 
spikes of pretty, bell-shaped flowers a foot high, flowering in 
June. All are hardy, and may be planted in any good garden 
soil, about three inches deep, five or six roots in a group ; they 
need not be taken up oftener than once in three years, and then 
should not be kept long out of the ground. 



IRIS. 

Flower-de-luce. 

" The Flower-de-luce, and the round sparks of dew, 
That hung upon their azure leaves, did show 
Like twinkling stars, that sparkle in the evening dew." 

The Iris is a very extensive and beautiful family, claiming 
the whole world as her country. Some of the species have 
very large flowers, which, from their being very vivid, and 
several uniting in the same blossom, are extremely showy. 



gQ breck's book of flowers. 

Many of them are bulbous-rooted ; of these we shall treat in 
this place, reserving the fibrous and most of the tuberous- 
rooted to describe under the head of herbaceous perennials. 
One of the most esteemed bulbous-rooted Iris, is the Persian, 
on account of the beauty and fragrance of its flowers. It is 
also very early, but not perfectly hardy. It is valued for forc- 
ing, as a few of its flowers will scent a whole room ; their 
colors are pale sky-blue, purple, yellow, and sometimes white. 
The Spanish Iris, or I. ziphium, is a very pretty border flower, 
of many varieties, all rich and elegant ; embracing the most 
delicate shades of light and dark blue, brown, purple, yellow, 
and white. Many of the varieties are various colored, striped 
or spotted; the bulbs are small, tooth-like, sending forth rush- 
like foliage, with flowers in June, on stems about eighteen 
inches high. These bulbs, as well as the other species named 
here, should be planted about two and a half inches deep, in a 
light and rich garden soil ; the proper time is in October and 
November, and, excepting J. susiana, need not be taken up 
oftener than once in three years. 

The English Iris, or I. ziphioides, is somewhat similar to the 
last, but more robust in its growth ; the bulbs are larger, and 
the stem two feet or more high, producing its flowers in June, 
which are as various in color as the Spanish, and as desirable 
for the border. 

Iris chalcedonica, or I. susia7ia, is one of the most beautiful 
of the race ; it is not a bulbous root, but tuberous, imported 
with the bulbous kinds from Holland, and planted at the same 
time, and manner, except the soil should be of a more loamy 
character. It has the largest flowers of any of the species, and 
the most magnificent of them all. The colors of the flowers 
are of various shades of the richest purplish brown, beautifully 
mottled and spotted, so as to give it a very rich and unique 
appearance. It produces its flowers in June, on stems a foot 
high. It may be increased by parting the roots in autumn. 
This splendid flower is reputed to be tender ; but I have suc- 
ceeded in planting it in October and November, and even in 



LILIUM. 61 

December, with success, giving the same protection as to Tulips 
or Hyacinths ; but if the roots are suffered to remain in the 
ground after flowering, it will never bloom again, and most 
assuredly perish. Our season is too long for it ; if left in the 
ground through the summer, it commences growing in autumn, 
forms its flower buds before winter sets in, and dies. Ob- 
serving this, I have taken up the roots the first of August, and 
kept them out of ground till the time of planting in autumn, 
with perfect success. After drying, the roots may be kept in 
dry sand or moss. 



LILIUM. 

The Lily. 

" Have you seen but a bright Lily grow, 
Before rude hands have touched it ? " 

" Queen of the field, in milk-white mantle drest, 
The lovely Lily waved her curling crest." 

All the species of this splendid genus, with which we are 
acquainted, may be considered worthy of a place in every good 
collection of plants. Many of the species are well known, 
while a greater number are not often seen in our gardens. 

The Lily is an interesting flower to the young florist as well 
as the botanist, on account of the simplicity of its structure 
and magnitude and distinct character of its different parts and 
organs. The root of the Lily, or what is generally denomi- 
nated the root, is a scaly bulb, the scales being laid over each 
other in an imbricate form, inclosing the germ, or bud. The 
bulb is not a root, strictly speaking, but a bud containing the 
embryo of the future plant. The roots are thrown out from 
the bottom of these bulbs, or buds, and, unlike the fibres of the 
Tulip, are perennial ; and on their strength depends, in a great 
measure, the vigor of the future plant. Bulbs, long kept out 
of ground, are very much weakened, and a number of years 
will elapse before they recover strength to bloom in great per- 
6 



62 breck's book of flowers. 

fection. After the flowering of the Lily, in August, the foliage 
of many species decays ; the bulbs then are in the most perfect 
state for transplanting. If they are permitted to remain long 
after this, and the foliage begins to start again, they will not 
bloom so strong the next year. The Lily should not be moved 
any oftener than is necessary. It is not like the Tulip and 
many other bulbs, which are not injured, but rather improved, 
by taking them up annually after flowering. The Lily will 
do well in any well prepared border or bed. To have them in 
perfection, the soil should be excavated eighteen inches deep, 
and filled with a compost of peat, or swamp muck, undecayed 
manure, or leaf mould, a foot deep ; the remaining six inches 
may be peat and rich mould. The bulbs of strong-growing 
Lilies may be planted from four to five inches deep ; and 
weaker sorts from three to four inches. In the borders, three 
bulbs, of the stronger-growing varieties, are enough for one 
group, or five, of the Aveaker sorts. They have a pleasing 
effect when planted in masses ; or they may be planted in 
beds. Most of the species are quite hardy ; but they will all 
be benefited, and bloom more strongly, provided they receive a 
covering of rotten manure before winter sets in. 

Liliu77i candidum. — The Old White Lily. — This species has 
always been considered the emblem of whiteness, and is too 
well kno\^^^ to require any description. A mass of White Lilies 
is always beheld with admiration, and they perfume the air 
with their delicious fragrance. The White Lily is, therefore, 
indispensable, and should be found in every garden. It some- 
times attains the height of three or four feet, and is in flower 
about the first of July. 

Lilium catididum Jlore pleno. — The Double White Lily. — 
A variety of the double white ; it is curious, but not beautiful. 
The inflorescence appears to be a continuation of the foliage, 
which, as it terminates the stem, gradually assumes the char- 
acter of petals, with the whiteness of the simple flower. It is 
a monster, and for that reason may be fancied by some. 

Lilium candidum Jlore variegata. — The Variegated White 



LILIUM. 63 

Lily. — This is another variety of the White Lily, and not 
very desirable. The purity of the white is destroyed by the 
dull purple stripes that mark the petals, and give it a dingy 
appearance. 

Lilium longijiorum. — The Long-flowered White Lily. — 
This is a very beautiful and fragrant species, not quite so hardy 
as the common White Lily, but stands the winter well, when 
protected. The flowers, pure white, very long and large, pro- 
duced in July. 

Lilium martagon. — Turk's Cap Lily. — There are many 
varieties of this species ; some with pure white, others with 
purple, spotted, or variegated flowers. The petals are very 
much reflexed, giving them the appearance of caps. In strong- 
soil, and the roots well established, the stems are sometimes 
thrown up from three to five feet, producing tw^enty or thirty 
flowers, flowering in July. 

Lilium candidum folia variegata. — The Gold-striped Lily. 
— There are two varieties of garden White Lily with striped 
leaves, one having yellow, the other white striped foliage ; both 
pretty in a collection. 

Lilium umbellatum. — The Umbel-flowered Orange Lily. — 
This is a strong-growing species, producing quite a num- 
ber of large, upright orange flowers, with rough interior. In 
contrast with the White Lily, it makes an imposing appearance. 
It flowers about the first of July. 

Lilium auranticuvi. — The Dwarf Orange Lily. — More 
dwarfish than the last; about two feet high, with three or four 
upright orange flowers on a stem ; in flower in July. 

Lilium tigrinum. — Tiger-spotted Lily. — A very common, 
strong-growing species ; but very showy, having fine, reflexed, 
orange flowers, with black spots. It has the peculiarity of 
producing small bulbs in the axil of the leaves. It grows from 
four to six feet high, flowering in August, and is a suitable 
plant for the shrubbery as well as the border. It is very easily 
propagated, as all the axil bulbs, when planted in the ground, 
soon produce flowering plants. 



64 breck's book of flowers. 

Lilium pomponicum. — Scarlet Pompone Lily. — This is a 
beautiful species, with scarlet reflexed petals, flowering in June 
and July. It is rather a shy flowerer, and has not flourished 
so well with us as some other sorts. 

Lilium chalcedonicum. — Scarlet Martagon Lily. — This is 
another fine scarlet lily, with reflexed petals, growing three 
or four feet high, and flowering in July. 

L. pyre7iaicum, with reflexed yellow flowers, with scarlet 
anthers, we have in our collection ; very pretty, but producing 
only from one to three flowers in each stem. Among other 
beautiful varieties, or species, are L. catesbcsi, a native of the 
south, with orange-colored flowers, and dwarf in its habits. 
L. Carolinmaim, from Carolina, somew^hat like L. superbum; 
L. monadelphum, a species of Martagon, from Caucasus ; L. 
croceum, pumilum, and many others, which may be obtained 
from the Dutch florists. Lily bulbs, when transported from 
Holland, are so much weakened, from being kept so long out of 
ground, that more than one half of them perish ; and the few 
that vegetate stand a number of years, frequently, before they 
get strength to bloom. 

Lilium Japonicum. — The Japan Lily. — This magnificent 
species of Lily, and its varieties, have been introduced but a 
few years, and, until lately, treated as green-house plants. 
They are found to be as hardy as our common Lilies, and will, 
therefore, prove a great acquisition to the garden. The variety 
speciosum has a pink and white frosted ground, finely spotted 
with deep crimson ; L. lancifolium album is pure white ; 
each variety with reflexed petals. These Lilies emit an exquis- 
ite odor. I have seen plants five and six feet high ; they were, 
however, grown in pots in the green-house. These bulbs have 
commanded extravagant prices ; consequently are found in but 
few collections. As the price is now greatly reduced, we hope 
soon to see them more common. The following account is 
from an English paper; and, as the directions for their culture 
will be applicable to us, we insert it, with some omissions : — 

" Few plants of recent introduction are more handsome or 



LILIUM. 65 

attractive than the Japan Lilies. They produce a gorgeous 
display, either in-doors or out; and, as they are quite hardy, 
they may be liberally planted in the open border, and thus con- 
stitute one of our best autumnal flower-garden plants. 

" Their propagation is simple and certain. The bulbs may 
be separated, and each scale will eventually form a new bulb. 
This separation should be effected when the flower stems are 
withered. The scales should be stuck into pans of silver sand, 
and placed in a cold frame or pit. After remaining one season 
in this position, they should be planted in a prepared bed of 
peat soil, and a little silver sand intermixed with it ; thus 
treated, the bulbs will soon grow large enough to flower. 

" The cultivation of them in pots is by no means difficult. 
I shall detail the practice I have pursued with success for some 
years. Immediately when the bulbs go to rest, in the autumn, 
is the proper time to repot them. By no means destroy the 
old roots, but carefully place them amongst the fresh soil. If 
large examples, for particular display, are required, large pots 
may be employed, and half a dozen flowering bulbs placed in 
each pot. The soil I use is rough peat. The pots should be 
well drained, and the crown of the bulb just covered with the 
soil ; when potted, they should be placed in a cold pit or frame, 
in order to prevent the soil from freezing, although frost will 
not injure the bulb. Where room under glass is an object in 
winter, they may be plunged in the open air in coal ashes, in 
a manner similar to potted Hyacinths. I have at this time a 
large number coming into flower, which have never been under 
glass until within these few days ; they have sustained no 
injury from exposure, and they present every appearance of 
making a grand display. There is scarcely any plant which is 
so much benefited by liquid manure as the Lily ; more espec- 
ially before expanding its flowers. If used in a clear state, 
and considerably diluted, this water alone may be applied for 
at least a month before it comes into flower. 

" If the object should be out-door cultivation entirely, I 
should recommend them to be planted in beds ; their effect is 
6* 



66 breck's book of flowers. 

exceedingly grand. Excavate the soil eighteen inches deep, 
and fill in the bottom, a foot deep, with very coarse peat, inter- 
mixed with one fifth of decayed manure or leaf mould. The 
remaining six inches may be entirely peat. If the bulbs are 
large enough to bloom, plant them twelve inches apart every 
way ; and if beds of each kind are brought into contact with 
one another, the efl^ect will be magnificent. 

" The following are the kinds I cultivate : Lilium layicifolium 
album, L. piinctatum, and L. speciosum. The old Japonicum is 
also well worth growing." 

All our native Lilies are beautiful, and very much improved 
by cultivation. While we are bringing together, from the ends 
of the earth, the treasures of Flora, let not our own be neg- 
lected. These may be taken from our fields and meadows, 
when in bloom, by carefully taking them up with a ball of 
earth, and in a few years will richly repay the trouble. 

Lilium superbum. — Superb Lily. — One of the most mag- 
nificent of our native plants ; not common in the vicinity of 
Boston, but in many parts of the state and in New York in 
abundance. Stem erect, straight, from three to six feet high, 
Dearing a large pyramid of orange-colored flowers, not unfre- 
quently numbering, when cultivated, thirty or forty. The 
flowers are much reflexed. They are found in many varieties, 
with flov\ers from a yellow to an orange scarlet; in bloom in 
July. 

Lilium Canadense, — Nodding Meadow Lily. — This fine 
Lily may be found embellishing our meadows in June, when 
it rarely produces more than from one to five modest, nodding, 
but showy, flowers, on stems one to three feet high. It is very 
much improved by cultivation, and, when planted in rich ground, 
has been known to grov/ five feet high, with a pyramid of at 
least twenty of its pendulous flowers; color from yellow to 
deep orange scarlet. The flowers are profusely spotted with 
brown, on the inside, and are but little reflexed. 

Lilium Philadelphicum. — The Common Red Lily of our 
pastures and dry fields ; equal, if not superior, in beauty, to 



NARCissirs. 67 

the Canadense, but of a different habit. Its height rarely ex- 
ceeds two feet, with one to three flowers, supported on a long 
claw ; upright, of a dark vermilion color, richly spotted with 
black. The flowers are bell-shaped ; in bloom in July. 

The character of this species will no doubt be as much im- 
proved by cultivation as Canadense. It will then form one of 
the most showy ornaments of the garden, as the color of the 
flower is rich and brilliant. If ten or fifteen flowers can be pro- 
duced on one stem, the effect of a group of plants will be 
surpassingly rich. 



NARCISSUS. 

Common Daffodil ; some species, Jonquilles. 

" No gradual bloom is wanting ; from the bud, 
First born of the spring, to summer's murky tribes : 
Nor Hyacinths of purest virgin white, 
Low bent, and blushing inward ; nor Jonquilles, 
Of potent fragrance ; nor Narcissus fair. 
As o'er the fabled fountain hanging still." 

Named from the youth Narcissus, who, as the poets tell us, 
was changed into this flower. 

This family are mostly hardy, bulbous-rooted plants, many 
of them too well known for description ; all suitable to orna- 
ment the garden. They may be planted in October or Novem- 
ber, in any good garden soil, about three inches deep, and need 
not be "taken up oftener than is necessary to separate the roots 
when they become matted together, as they will in three or 
four years. 

The Two-flowered Narcissus, Pale Daflfodil, or Primrose- 
peerless, is of a pale-cream color, with a yellow cup in the 
centre ; a very pretty species. Of the Common Daffodil, there 
are many varieties, with a white flower and yellow cup ; a yel- 
low flower and deep golden cup ; a double flower, with several 
cups one within another ; the Great Yellow Incomparable, 
double and single. The double variety is called Butter and 



68 bkeck's book of flowers. 

Eggs Narcissus, bj'- the English, and by the Dutch, Orange 
Phcenix, and is considered the handsomest of all the species. 
It has large and small petals ; the large, lemon color, filled in 
with small orange-colored ones. All these species flower the 
last of April. 

The Great Jonquille is yellow ; the scent of it so powerful as 
to be hardly endured. This, with the Common Jonquille, are 
altogether yellow ; but the last-named has a cup deeper col- 
ored than the petals. There is variety with double flowers. 
There is a species called the Hoop-petticoat Narcissus, called 
in France Medusa's Trumpet, of which the cup is two inches 
long, very broad at the brim. Of this, there are a number of 
varieties ; one, pale citron color ; another, darker and larger ; 
both curious and pretty ; in flower first of May. 

The White, or Poet's, Narcissus, has a snow-white flower, 
with a pale-yellow cup in the centre, fringed on the border 
with a circle of reddish purple. It is sweet-scented ; in flower 
last of May. There is a variety with double flowers ; these 
are the most desirable of the tribe. 

The Polyanthus Narcissus is the most desirable of all ; but, 
alas ! it is not so hardy. It requires to be planted five inches 
deep, and well protected, to do well. The bulbs are quite 
large. The flowers are produced the last of May, in trusses 
of from six to twenty flowers. There are many varieties of 
this flower. Some have entirely white flowers ; others, white, 
with yellow, citron, or orange cups ; yellow with yellow ; and 
entirely yellow or orange-colored flowers. There is a variety 
with double flowers. This species of Narcissus succeeds well 
when grown in pots ; or it is fine for flowering in glasses. 



P^ONIA. 

Peo}iy. 

This interesting genus contains many magnificent flowering 
plants, embracing at least one hundred varieties and species, 



pj:onia. 69 

all of which are desirable for the border, and perfectly hardy, 
standing over winter without protection. Most of the genus is 
herbaceous. P. Moutan, and its varieties, are shrubby ; their 
roots are fleshy, but not so distinctly tuberous as most of the 
herbaceous species. All require nearly the same treatment. 
The time for dividing the herbaceous sorts is in September or 
October; the whole stool should be taken up. With a sharp 
knife it may be divided into as many pieces as there are tubers 
with buds ; it is necessary that a bud be preserved on each 
tuber. At this season of the year the Peony is in a dormant 
state ; the buds are just beginning to show themselves, and, if 
delayed long after the first of October, the new fibres begin to 
push, and the plant will be less likely to flower the coming 
spring. The Peony roots should not be disturbed in the 
spring, unless it be very early, as it does not succeed well 
when transplanted at that season, without a ball of earth 
adhering to the roots. The tubers should be planted in a 
deep, rich, light, garden soil ; the crown, or bud, should be 
placed three inches below the surface. The species of the 
Peony have been so much changed by the florist, that it is dif- 
ficult to draw the line of botanical distinction with any degree 
of accuracy ; and, for floral purposes, it is not necessary. 

PcEony officinallis. — This is the old Double Crimson Peony, 
familiar with every one as a household friend. When first 
introduced into Antwerp, two hundred and fifty years ago, the 
plant sold for twelve crowns, — a large sum for those days. 

The varieties of this species are P. rosea with rose, P. 
blanda with blush, P. rubra with red, P. carnesens with 
flesh-colored, P. albicans with white, flowers. This class of 
Peonies flower the last of May and the first of June. 

P. tenufolia, or fennel-leaved, with fine leaves like fennel ; 
in flower the first of May ; it is of a deep crimson color, and, 
when in bud, very beautiful. There is a double variety of this 
sort. 

P. hybrida is a hybrid between the last and P. decora, and 
very pretty ; flower deep red. 



70 breck's book of flowers. 

p. paradoxa is a double variety, or species with purplish red 
flowers ; blooms last of May. 

P. decora, grevilli, and corallina, have large, single flowers, 
purplish red and red ; in bloom the middle of May. 

P. Siberica is one of the finest species; the flowers are sin- 
gle, but in clusters, and very showy ; white, shaded with pink; 
blooms 1st of June. 

P. alba flora, P. Tartarica, and other Chinese and Tartarian 
sorts, are the parents, probably, of a splendid race of late flow- 
ering Peonies, denominated the Chinese. They are in bloom 
about the middle of June. To enumerate and describe all 
would occupy too much space. P. Whitleji has large double 
white flowers. P. Humeii, double lilac-red. P. rosea has large 
double rose-colored ; rather later than the two last. P. Reeve- 
sii, semi-double purple. P. Pottsii, semi-double lilac-rose. 
These are some of the more common sorts, but all beautiful. 

Among those of the more recently introduced sorts, are P. 
sulphurea, with pale yellow flowers. P. Buchess de Neinours, 
with the broad exterior petals a blush white, while the centre 
is filled up with numerous fine petals of a sulphur color ; quite 
a novelty. P. prolif era-tricolor. P. triumphans. P. graiidi- 
flora carnea. P. festiva. P. plenissavia variegata. Many 
other new varieties might be named, all desirable for the bor- 
der, or to be planted out in a quarter by themselves. 

Pceony Moutan, or the Tree Peony, and its varieties, are 
magnificent plants, with flowers of various shades of red, lilac, 
light purple and white, measuring from four to eight inches in 
diameter, all of easy culture ; very hardy, requiring but little 
protection. The variety Bayiksi/p. is one of the most common 
kinds. I have had a plant of this with from seventy to eighty 
flowers upon it at one time, presenting a splendid sight. The 
flowers vary on the same bush : some of them are very double, 
of a light pink color, fading, as they open, to a faint blush, or 
white towards the edges, and at the base deepening to a pur- 
plish red ; others are semi-double. Some flowers will be of a 
deeper pink; variations take place also in the size of the 



P^ONIA. 71 

flowers, according to the strength of the plant. The shrub is 
rarely seen more than four feet high, but it becomes very large 
in circumference, bushing out from year to year, growing into 
a very regular, hemispherical shape. It is in flower the last 
of May, with all the other varieties or species. 

P. moutan papaveracea, or Poppy-flowered Tree Peony, is 
also a splendid plant, having large, single, white flowers, some- 
times ten inches in diameter. The petals are flat, with a deep 
purple spot at the base of each. These spots are rayed about 
an inch and a half long, from the centre, forming a rich, bril- 
liant star in the middle of the flower ; the bright yellow sta- 
mens add to the beauty of the flower, forming a fine contrast 
with the purple and pure white. It is a very desirable plant. 
There is a variety of this, with semi-double or double flowers. 

P. mouian papaveracea rosea is a variety with fine rose- 
colored flowers, and one of the same color with double flowers ; 
not very common. 

A great number of new and expensive varieties of the 
Tree Peony have been exhibited, within the last few years, at 
the Horticultural Rooms. Some of these varieties do not 
exceed in beauty those I have described, while others are 
much superior. I will refer my readers to the reports of 
the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, for descriptions of 
their new sorts. For one or more of them, two hundred francs 
were paid ; more, I dare say, than any one else would be wil- 
ling to expend for one small plant. \ 

The woody Peonies may be propagated by seeds, suckers, 
.ayers, and by grafting. The common and most simple way is 
by suckers. These may be often found growing from old wood, 
when standing in the open border. The wood is very hard, 
and will require a sharp, strong knife; a fine saw is often useful 
in the operation. October is the best time to divide the plants. 
In the first place, take away the soil carefully from the roots 
so as to see how the sucker can be taken off" to the best advan- 
tage, and not injure the old plant, and to give a portion of the 
root to the young plant. When detached, the sucker may be 



72 beeck's book or flowers. 

planted where it is destined to stand, in a rich, mellow loam. 
When propagated by layers, the outer shoots are bent down 
into the soil in the spring ; but before they are fastened down 
with a hook or pegs, a longitudinal split should be made in the 
inner side of the bend ; this should be done with great care, as 
the shoots are extremely liable to be broken off where they 
bend. It takes two years for a layer of the Peony to be siiffi- 
ciently rooted to be detached. If seed is saved, it should be 
planted as soon as ripe in autumn. I have not raised the 
Peony from seed, but probably it would appear above ground 
the next spring, and in the course of a few years produce 
flowers, and perhaps a new variety. It is best to cover the 
crowns of all varieties and species, in autumn, with coarse 
stable manure ; the plants flower stronger for it. 

With a collection of Peonies of the different sorts, the garden 
will not be without some of the kinds being in bloom from the 
first of May to the first of July. 



RANUNCULUS. 

Ranunculus Asiaticus. 

The Asiatic Ranunculus is one of the most splendid class 
of florist's flowers in cultivation; but, unfortunately, our climate 
is so uncongenial for its perfection, and it requires so much skill 
and care, that it has received but little attention in the vicinity 
of Boston, except by a few individuals. To have this splendid 
flower in all its beauty and strength, it should be kept growing 
very moderately all winter ; but our climate is so severe that 
this is impossible, in the open air, without too much covering, 
which would cause the plants to become drawn and weakened 
in such a manner as to be ruined. In a green-house this may 
be done ; but how shall they be managed in the open air ? 
Samuel Walker, Esq., formerly President of the Massachusetts 
Horticultural Society, has been the most successful of any 



RANUNCTJLITS. 73 

person in this neighborhood, in blooming the Ranunculus in the 
open air. I shall therefore give his directions, as published in 
Hovey's Magazine, August 3, 1844. 

" DIRECTIONS FOR THE CULTIVATION AND PLANTING OF THE 

RANUNCULUS. 

" The soil should be trenched eighteen or twenty inches, 
and composed of good rich loam, to which add one sixth part 
of very old, well rotted cow-manure, and the same quantity of 
clay, broken into small pieces ; add to this a little sand, and 
thoroughly mix the whole ; if the soil binds, add some sandy 
peat ; make the bed on a level with the path or walks ; the 
plants would do better if the bed was below, rather than above, 
the level. 

" Having prepared the soil, as above, some time during the 
summer or autumn, take the earliest opportunity, in the spring 
succeeding, to stir up the bed one spit, and take off one and a 
half inch of the soil ; then place the plants in an upright posi- 
tion on the surface, six inches apart each way, and replace the 
soil carefully, which will cover the crown of the Ranunculus 
about one and a half inch ; deeper planting would be inju- 
rious. After the plants appear, keep them free from weeds, 
and press the soil firmly around them after they get two 
inches high. If the weather prove dry, water them freely 
early in the morning, and shade them from the sun from nine 
A. M. to three o'clock, P. M. As soon as the foliage becomes 
yellow, take the roots up, and dry them thoroughly in the 
shade, and keep them in a dry place. 

" The Ranunculus loves a cool and moist location, but no 
stagnant water should be permitted, nor should they be placed 
under the shade or drippings of trees. The morning sun, free 
circulation of air, and shade, as directed, will ensure success.'' 

The root of the Ranunculus is a cluster of small tubers, like 
claws, united in the crown, which send up several bipartite 
leaves, and an erect, branched stem, eight or twelve inches 
7 



74 breck's book of flowers. 

high, with a terminating flower variously colored. Unless 
good varieties are obtained, and the roots sound and plump, it 
is best not to attempt their cultivation. The varieties are 
endless, — of every color and combination of color that Flora 
paints with. 

A fine double Eanunculus should have a well-formed blossom, 
at least two inches in diameter, hemispherical in shape, the 
petals imbricated in regular shape, — the largest outside, and 
gradually diminishing in size as they approach the centre of 
the flower, which should be well filled with them. The petals 
should be broad, with entire, well-rounded edges ; their color 
should be dark, clear, rich or brilliant, either consisting of one 
color throughout, or be otherwise variously diversified, on an 
ash, white, sulphur, or fire-colored ground, or regularly striped, 
spotted, or mottled in an elegant manner. 

There is another species of Ranunculus, called Great Tur- 
ban, or Great Turkey Ranunculus, producing large, double, 
and very brilliant flowers. The roots are similar to the other 
species, and the mode of cultivation the same. The varieties 
are not so numerous; the colors are crimson, yellow and 
brown, yellow, white speckled, dark brown, &c. 



TUBEROSA. 
Polianthus Tuberosa. 

" The Tuberose, with her silver light, 

That in the gardens of Malay- 
Is called the mistress of the night ; 
So like a bride, scented and bright, 

She comes out when the sun 's away." 

The Tuberose is a tender tuberous-rooted plant, with linear 
leaves of whitish green, and stems four or five feet high, ter- 
minating in a sparse spike of white flowers, of very powerful 
fragrance, which display themselves in August. It is properly 
a green-house plant, but will grow and flower in warm situa- 



TULIPIA. 75 

tions in the open air, when planted about the middle of May, 
but succeeds better when planted in pots, in March or April, 
and brought forward in a hot-bed or green-house, and planted 
in border the middle of June. It delights in a rich, sandy 
loam. The top of the tuber should be near the surface of the 
soil. The tubers are generally surrounded with numerous 
offsets. It is recommended by some gardeners to break them 
off; but I am inclined to believe that it is rather prejudicial to 
the bloom than otherwise, and my practice is to let them 
remain. Strong-grown roots only will bloom. The double 
variety is the most desirable, though both are equally fragrant. 
The Tuberose is propagated from the offsets taken off from 
the parent tuber, and planted in a light, rich soil. As soon as 
the foliage is killed by the frost in autumn, the roots should 
be taken up, dried, and packed away m dry sand or moss, till 
wanted in the spring, but they must be kept secure from frost. 



TULIPIA. 

Garden Tulip. 

"Then comes the Tulip race, where beauty plays 
Her idle freaks ; from family diffused 
To family, as flies the father dust, 
The varied colors run ; and while they break 
On the charmed eye, th' exulting florist marks 
With secret pride the wonders of his hand." 

The Tulip is a flower of easy cultivation. The varieties 
are endless. With the early and late varieties the garden can 
be made very gay all the month of May. 

These flowers became, in the middle of the seventeenth 
century, the object of a trade for which there is no parallel, 
and their price rose beyond the precious metals. Many 
authors have given an account of this trade, some of whom 
have misrepresented it. One author called it the Tulipomania ; 
at which people laugh, because they believe that the beauty 



76 breck's book of flowers. 

and rarity of the flowers induced florists to give such extrava- 
gant prices. But this Tulip trade was a mere gambling com- 
merce, and the Tulips themselves were only nominally its 
objects, many bargains being daily made, and the roots neither 
given nor received. In Holland and Belgium the passion for 
Tulips among the florists became an absolute madness. Many 
thousand francs have often been given for a single root, and 
the amount of this article of commerce, in 1637, rose to some 
millions of francs. At the period of this effervescence, proper- 
ties of considerable value were given for a single flower, and a 
memorable monument of this outrageous folly is still exhibited 
at Lille, in the Tulip Brewery, which, it is said, though valued 
at 30,000 francs, ($6000,) was given by its proprietor for a 
single root. At last the Tulip mania became so overpower- 
ing that the government of Holland, convinced of the evil 
effects which might result from it, were obliged to interfere, 
and to pass laws of great severity against such transactions, 
limiting the extent of the amount for any one bulb to 200 
francs. To this day, a few of the choice and rare varieties 
are priced at that sum in the Dutch catalogues. During this 
Tulip fever, a merchant in Holland gave a herring to a sailor 
who had brought him some goods. The sailor, seeing some 
valuable Tulip roots lying about, which he considered of little 
consequence, thinking them to be onions, took some of them 
unperceived, and ate them with his herring. Through this 
mistake, the sailor's breakfast cost the merchant a greater sum 
than if he had treated the Prince of Orange. 

Another laughable anecdote is told of an Englishman, who, 
being in a Dutchman's garden, pulled a couple of Tulips, on 
which he wished to make some botanical observations, and put 
them in his pocket ; but he was apprehended as a thief, and 
obliged to pay a considerable sum before he could obtain his 
liberty. A bed of two hundred and fifty Tulips, of the finest 
varieties, at the present time, cannot be obtained without a con- 
siderable outlay ; and there are few, who have the means or 
the fancy, who are willing to be at the expense. 



TULIPIA. 77 

Tulips are divided into two classes, early and late blowers ; 
and these are, again, subdivided into other classes. 

Early Tulips commence their blooming about the first of 
May, in company with the Hyacinth, and some of the varieties 
are very desirable. They are dwarf in their habits. The 
many distinguished varieties of early Tulip are all produced 
from the late blowers, which, having tall stems, and much finer 
colors, engross nearly the whole attention of the cultivators of 
Tulips. The modern mode of classing the late blowers, by the 
Dutch florists, is as follows : 

" Prime Baguets, from the French word baguette, a rod, or 
wand. They are very tall, with handsome cups and white 
bottoms, well broken with fine brown, and all from the same 
breeder. 

RigauVs Baguets. — This variety is supposed to have 
received its distinctive appellation from some individual by 
the name of Rigaut, who was eminent in this branch of flori- 
culture. They are not quite so tall as the former, but have 
strong stems, and very large, well formed cups, with white 
bottoms, handsomely broken with rich brown color, and all 
from the same breeder. 

hicomparable Verports. — A particular kind of Bybloemens. 
Cups very perfect, cherry-red and rose color and white bottoms, 
well broken with shining brown. Some of these are from $10 
to S25 a root. 

Bybloemens, or nest flowers, called by the French Flamands. 
They have white ground, or nearly so, and are beautifully 
broken with shades of purple and a variety of colors. They 
are from diflferent breeders. 

Bizarres, from the French, odd, or irregular. Ground yel- 
low; from different breeders, and broken with a variety of 
colors. 

Paroquets, or Parrot Tulips. — The edges of the petals are 
fringed, colors brilliant crimson and yellow, with shades of 
bright green ; but still they are held in no sort of esteem among 
florists." 

7# 



78 BRECK's book of FLOWrERS, 

Double. — These are of various brilliant red, yellow, and 
mixed colors, but, like many other double flowers, are deemed 
monsters, and not appreciated by flower fanciers, although they 
have an elegant appearance, from their upright, tall, and firm 
stems, and crowns of large, peony-shaped flowers ; and, when 
scattered with the Parrot among the small shrubs and other 
plants, in the borders of avenues and walks, or planted out in 
separate beds, they have a pleasing effect. 

Breeders are such as have been procured from the seed, and 
consist of one color, which is red, purple, violet, gray, brown, 
black, yellow, or some other individual color, without any sort 
of variation. These are cultivated in a rather poor and dry 
soil, and become broken or variegated, in from one to twenty 
years, and produce new varieties ; but so uncertain is the pros- 
pect of a favorable result, that but few persons are willing to 
make the experiment, by raising Tulips from seed, as probably 
not one in a thousand, after so many years of patient cultiva- 
tion, would exliibit anything remarkable or new. For this 
reason, a new and superb Tulip commands a high price at the 
present time in Europe. 

When a Tulip has broken, the colors are unchangeable, when 
properly managed, and are perpetuated from offsets from the 
parent bulb. Tulips become deteriorated by improper culture, 
by feeding them too highly with stimulating manures. This 
causes the colors to run together, and the flower becomes what 
the florist denominates " foul," and they can only be restored 
to their former beauty by planting in a pure, loamy soil for a 
few years. 

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPERTIES OF A FINE LATE TULIP. 

The stem should be strong, elastic, and erect, and about 
thirty inches above the surface of the bed. 

The flower should be large, and composed of six petals. 
These should form almost a perfect cup, with a round bottom, 
rather wider at the top. 

The three exterior petals should be somewhat larger than 



TULIPIA. 79 

the three interior ones, and broader at their base. All the 
petals should have perfectly entire edges, free from notch or 
serrature. The top of each should be broad and well rounded. 
The ground color of the flower, at the bottom of the cup, 
should be a clear white or yellow ; and the various rich colored 
stripes, which are the principal ornament of a fine Tulip, should 
be regular, bold, and distinct on the margin, and terminate in 
fine broken points, elegantly feathered or penciled. These are 
the principal points of excellence, in the eyes of a florist ; yet 
with amateurs there is some difference of opinion. 

The colors which are generally held in greatest estimation, 
in variegated striped sorts, are black, golden-yellow, purple, 
violet, rose, and vermilion, each of which being varied in dif- 
ferent ways ; but such as are striped with three different colors, 
in a distinct and unmixed manner, with strong regular streaks, 
and but little or no tinge of the breeder, are considered the 
most perfect. 

The cultivation of the Tulip is mystified by the elaborate 
directions generally given for its cultivation. I have succeeded, 
for many years, in producing very fine flowers by a simple 
course of cultivation; the varieties in my possession being 
probably as fine as can be obtained from any collection in 
Europe, having been imported, a few years since, at great 
expense. 

The finer sorts of Tulips should always be planted in beds, 
where there is a considerable quantity of bulbs ; but they look 
very well when disposed in small groups, in the borders, par- 
ticularly the more common sorts. 

The proper season for planting is in October. If kept out 
longer, they are somewhat weakened, and will not flower so 
finely. 

A bed for two hundred and fifty Tulips, should be thirty-six 
feet long by four wide. The bulbs to be planted in rows, seven 
inches apart, and seven inches distant from each other. The 
ground being marked out, the soil should be taken out to the 
depth of twenty inches. The rich surface mould should be first 



80 breck's book of flowers. 

taken off and placed by itself, while the subsoil must be taken 
off out of the way. I have found the best soil for Tulips to be 
that made of decayed turfs, from an old pasture, well incorpo- 
rated with old, thoroughly-decomposed cow-manure, with a little 
sand, if the soil be adhesive ; for the Tulip and most bulbs delight 
in a loose soil. The exact quantity of these three materials is 
laid down by some florist as one third of each, but I have not 
been so nice. My mould is light enough without much sand, 
and the quantity of manure is very small, not more than one 
eighth. When highly manured, the flowers will make a ranker 
growth, but it is injurious to the flower. The mould or soil 
should be prepared beforehand, and frequently turned to receive 
the influence of the air and sun. When the bed has been dug 
out as directed, the cavity is to be filled with this compost, a 
week or ten days before planting. My practice is to fill it 
even with the surface of the ground. This, when settled, 
will be the right depth to plant the bulbs, if planted on the 
surface. The planting should be done in a pleasant day. It 
should not be done directly after a heavy rain, for then the soil 
will be heavy. That the roots may be planted exact, I prepare 
a board, six and a half inches wide, the length the width of the 
bed. On the edges of the board I mark the distances the 
bulbs are to be planted from each other, by sawing in a notch ; 
thus, three inches from the end, for the first, and from that 
seven inches, until the whole number, seven, are made, which 
will leave three inches on the other side. Stretch a line on 
one side of the bed, and, by keeping one end of the board up to 
it, the planting may be made without any trouble, and every 
root in its right place, provided the board is placed square 
across the bed at each removal. Having placed the board, let 
some fine sand be placed where the bulbs are to be set. The 
roots should then be gently pressed into the earth, close up to the 
notch, but not so deep as to cover them, the large bulbs a little 
deeper than the smaller ones, and remove the board; then 
completely envelop each root with a little cone of sand, or very 
sandy earth, and so proceed until all the bulbs are set. Now, 



TULIPIA. 81 

with a spade, gradually cover the bulbs with the surface soil, 
until the bed has been raised four inches above the level of the 
walk. This will cover the bulbs about three and a half inches, 
the proper depth. Let it be carefully smoothed off, but not 
with any instrument that will interfere or put out of place any 
of the roots which have been set. All the care necessary, after 
this, is to throw some light protection over the beds before 
winter sets in, to be removed by the first of April. After- 
wards, keep the bed free from weeds. To have the flowers in 
the greatest protection, screen them from the sun, in mid-day, 
by an awning. A powerful sun soon destroys the beauty of a 
Tulip bed, by causing the colors to run together. A bed of late 
Tulips is generally in its highest perfection about the 20th of 
May, and may be kept in fine condition a fortnight longer, by 
taking the trouble to erect an awning over them. I take up 
my Tulips about the 20th of June, and dry them under cover, 
in an airy place, and, when dry, take off the offsets and plant 
them out, while the flowering roots are each wrapped in a 
piece of waste paper, and put away, in a box or drawer, in a dry 
place, until wanted to plant. One hundred different varieties, 
with their names and colors, reputed to be the very best, may 
be obtained from Holland, at the cost of about $25 ; but I have 
found, by experience, that some of the rarer and most expensive 
sorts are not included. Very good border Tulips, including fine 
double sorts, early and late, single, parrots, &c., may be 
obtained from 50 cents to $1 per dozen, and some of the com- 
mon sorts at much less price. 

Tulips sometimes succeed very well, in any good garden 
soil, without extra preparation. The Due Van ThoU Tulips, 
single and double, are some of the most esteemed early sorts, 
the single being the most suitable, and about the only one that 
succeeds well in pots and for forcing. 

The sorts that are planted in the borders may be set in 
groups of from three to five bulbs. These need not be taken 
up oftener than once in three years. Separate the offsets, as 
they become so crowded that they will not flower well, and 



82 breck's book of flowers. 

besides, as the new bulb is formed every year, below the old 
one, the roots will penetrate so deep, that, if permitted to remain 
many years, they become so weakened they will not flower 
at all. 

DIRECTIONS FOR THE FLOWERING OF DUTCH BULBS IN POTS OR 
GLASSES. 

"Hyacinths may be planted in pots from the latter end of 
October until December. The soil used should consist of about 
one third of white or river sand, and the remaining two thirds 
equal proportions of vegetable mould and loam. The pots 
should measure about six inches across the top. When the 
bulbs are planted, the pots are to be lightly filled with earth ; 
then the bulb may be placed in the centre, and pressed into the 
earth, so that it may be about half covered. After this, the 
earth should be made solid all around the sides of the pot, to 
fasten the root. When the bulbs are thus potted, they should 
be removed into a cool place, in order that they may become 
well rooted before the tops shoot up. Much light is not neces- 
sary at this period ; indeed, this deprivation of light causes 
them to root more quickly than they would otherwise do. For 
the first fortnight or three weeks after potting, they may be 
placed upon a shelf in a shed or a cellar, or in any other con- 
venient place, providing it be cool. Little water is also requi- 
site ; once watering, immediately after the roots are planted, 
being sufficient, if the situation is tolerably damp where the 
pots are placed. 

" If the stock of bulbous roots, such as Hyacinths, Narcissus, 
early Tulips, &c., be large enough to occupy a small frame, the 
pots may be put within it after planting, and they may be cov- 
ered a few inches deep with rotten tan, or any other light mate- 
rial. The pots will soon become well filled with roots, and the 
shoots produced by bulbs previously well rooted will be stronger, 
and the flowers larger, than if they had been put in a warm and 
light situation. When they are rooted, a few may be intro- 
duced occasionally into the room window, or on the mantel- 



TULIPIA. S3 

piece, if there be sufficient light. Light is quite essential when 
the tops begin to grow. By this means a succession of flowers 
may be had during the greater part of the spring. 

" If it is wished to bloom Hyacinths in water-glasses, the 
glasses should be filled up with water, but not so high as to 
come in contact with the bulb. Too much moisture before the 
roots protrude might cause the bulb to decay. The glasses 
may be put in a light, but cool situation, until the roots are 
grown half the length of the glass, at least. The longer the 
roots are before being forced into flower, the finer the flowers 
will be ; and when rooted they may be kept warm or cool, as 
flowers are required in succession. The flowers will not put 
forth, even when the glasses are filled with roots, if they are 
kept in a cold place. The water should be changed about twice 
every week, and rain or river water is better than spring water. 
Although the practice of growing bulbous roots in water is com- 
mon, it is by no means preferable to growing them in earth. 
There are many failures when bulbs are grown in water, 
which are chiefly caused from their being more liable to rot 
before they begin to emit roots, than when grown in soil. Keep- 
ing the bulbs quite clear of the water is a partial, but only a par- 
tial, preventive. Another cause is, that when the roots have 
attained some length, they frequently decay, and the loss of the 
flowers is the consequence. Should success attend the grow- 
ing and blooming of the greater part of those placed in water- 
glasses, the bulbs will be good for nothing afterwards ; but those 
grown in pots might be planted the year following in the garden, 
and they would make pretty border flowers for several years. 

" Similar treatment to that now described is required for the 
large-rooted Narcissus, whether in pots or glasses. 

" To force early Tulips in pots, they should be placed about 
three or four in each pot, just within the earth, which may be 
of the same sort, and the management the same as recom- 
mended for Hyacinths and Narcissuses. 

" Crocuses will force well. They should be planted near 
together, say from ten to twenty in a pot, according to its size. 



84 breck's book of flowers. 

Let them root naturally after planting, before they are forced 
into flower. They require similar treatment to the preceding. 
"In order that bulbous roots, which have been forced, shall not 
be quite exhausted, they may be planted in the garden, with the 
ball of earth entire, as soon as the flowering is over, if the 
weather is favorable. They will thus mature their roots and 
leaves, and be strengthened sufficiently to bloom again the fol- 
lowing season. If bulbs are neglected when their flowering 
season is over, they will not recover such neglect for a consid- 
erable time ; but if carefully placed in the garden till their leaves 
become yellow, when the root will be matured, they may then 
be taken up and kept in a dry, cool place until they are wanted 
the following season for planting." 



DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF PERENNIAL AND BIENNIAL, HERBA- 
CEOUS, BORDER, AND OTHER FLOWERS. 

" Not useless are ye, flowers ; though made for pleasure. 
Blooming o'er field and wave by day and night ; 
From CTery source your sanction bids me treasure 
Harmless delight." 

ACHILLEA. 

Milfoil. 

A. ptarmica. — Sneezewort. — This is a desirable border 
flower, particularly the double variety, as it continues in bloom 
most of the season, throwing up a succession of its double white 
flowers in corymbs, on stems about one foot high. The foliage 
is dark shining green. It is very hardy, and easy to cultivate 
in almost any common soil. 

A. aurea, or golden-flowered, has rich yellow flowers, but 
not so hardy as the last. 

We have a native species, A. millefolium, known by the 

common name of Yarrow ; of this I found a variety with pink 

flowers, which is now in my possession, and is desirable in a 

collection. 

- — « — 

ACONITUM. 

Monkshood — Wolfsbane. 

The common Monkshood is a well known inhabitant of the 
garden. There are many species, all handsome perennial bor- 
der flowers. They may be increased by parting the roots, which 
are of a tuberous character, every piece of which will grow. 
This should be done soon after they have done flowering ; and 
the stalks should be cut down at the same time. They like 
shade and moisture. Most of them have blue flowers, but 
8 



86 breck's book of flowers. 

there are also white and yellow. The flowers grow in spikes, 
which, in some species, are two or three feet long. The family 
of Aconites have a bad reputation. The ancients, who were 
not acquainted with mineral poisons, regarded this plant as the 
most violent of all. The virulence of A. napellus (common 
Monkshood) should be known to all. The root is the most 
powerful part of the plant. An instance is on record, of five 
persons, at Antwerp, who ate of the root by mistake, and all 
died. Instances have occurred, of death by eating the young 
shoots in a salad instead of celery. This plant, when used with 
skill and caution, is in some cases a valuable medicine. This 
species flowers in July and August. 

A. variegatum is a beautiful variety, throwing up branching 
spikes of flowers in July and August, three and four feet high ; 
the flowers are light blue, edged with white. 

A. japonicum has dark blue flowers, on spikes four and five 
feet high, during the month of July and August. 

A. rostratum is a beautiful species, with purple flowers, throe 
or four feet high — in July and August. 



ACTiEA. 

This is an indigenous perennial plant, suitable for the slu'ub- 
bery, found in the woods. There are two species or varieties : 
— A. rubra, with shining red berries, and A. alba, with milk- 
white berries, tipped with red. Both kinds have white flowers, 
in spikes, in May. The berries, as well as the flowers, are 
ornamental. They require a peaty soil, and flourish best in 
the shade ; about two or three feet high. 



AGROSTEMMA. 

Rose Campion — Mullen Pink. 

A common, showy border flower ; not a perfect perennial, but 
easily kept by dividing the roots. It is also propagated from 



ADONIS ALYSSUM — ALTHJEA. 87 

seeds, which flower the second year. The common variety has 
deep red flowers, and another variety with white, or white with 
a pink centre. It flowers in June and July ; about one and 
a half foot high. 

— • — 

ADONIS. 

Adonis vernalis is a handsome perennial border plant, one 
foot high, producing yellow flowers in May or June. It is a 
native of the South of Europe. It succeeds in any common 
garden soil, if not too heavy. 



ALYSSUM. 

Alyssum saxatile, — Rock or Golden Alyssum, — is a desirable 
vernal flower, of dwarf habit, proper for rock-work, or to be 
planted in masses ; the flowers are of a brilliant golden yellow, 
completely covering the plant,*which is not more than eight 
or ten inches high. It is a suitable companion for the Phlox 
stolonifera, with its red flowers, and P. subulata, with pink or 
white flowers; all which appear together the first of May. 
Raised by seeds or by slipping the roots. 



ALTHAEA. 

"And from the nectaries of Hollyhocks, 
The humblebee, e'en till he faints, will sip." 

Alth(Ba rosea. — Chinese Hollyhock. — A great improvement 
has been made in this old-fashioned, ordinary flower, within a 
few years, that has brought it before the public under a new 
phase ; and it now bids fair to become as popular as many 
other flowers have been when taken in hand by the florist. 
The following is an extract from an English paper : — 

'•^Hollyhocks, — If I were not afraid of advancing a horticultu- 



88 breck's book of flowers. 

ral heresy, I should say that many amateurs prefer Hollyhocks 
to Dahlias. The Hollyhocks of Belgium and Germany had a 
great celebrity long before they appeared among us. The col- 
lections of the Prince of Salm Dyck, and of M. Van Houtte, of 
Ghent, have been much admired. In other places varieties 
have been obtained with leaves more or less lobed, more or less 
entire, more or less palmate, all with flowers large, full, or col- 
ored differently from those of other plants, being sometimes of 
a more or less dark mahogany color, at others of a delicate tint, 
and varying from the purest white to the darkest glossy black. 
Some progress has also been made in the cultivation of those 
plants by themselves. Since 1830, M. Pelissier, jun., a gen- 
tleman of Prado, has cultivated Hollyhocks, and from the seeds 
of a pink variety has succeeded in obtaining plants with flowers 
of a delicate rose color, and which, in consequence of the ex- 
treme delicacy of their tints, and regularity of form, may serve 
both to encourage perseverance and as a good type for seed. 
In the following year, from th? seeds of pink flowers, he ob- 
tained a beautiful, brilliant, clear, sulphur-colored specimen, 
perfect in every respect. It is from the seeds of those two 
plants that he has obtained all the other beautiful and remark- 
able varieties which he now possesses, after a lapse of ten years 
from his first attempts. As a general rule, M. Pelissier prefers 
flowers with six exterior petals, with entire edges, well open, 
well set out, of a middling size, of a pure, clear, brilliant color, 
and forming a perfect Anemone. As the flowers expand, M. 
Pelissier removes whatever is not conformable to the type he 
has chosen, or is not of a marked color, and like a perfect 
Anemone. It is by doing this every year that he has obtained 
twenty remarkable varieties, the names and characteristics of 
which have been kindly furnished by him, and are given below. 
1. Souvenir de Malmaison, delicate rose, flower very full; per- 
fection. 2. Geant de Batailles, red, flower very full. 3. Ves- 
tale, fine pure white, flower very full. 4. Anais, rose, flower 
very full ; perfection. 5. Chromatella, dark yellow, flower 
very full. 6. Jeune Euphemie, clear red, flower beautiful, 



ALTHiEA. 89 

full; perfection. 7. Rei?ie Victoria, cinnamon-colored, shaded, 
flower very full. 8. Grand Peking, nankeen-colored, flower 
very full. 9. Amaranth, dark red, flower very full. 10. Isa- 
helle, dark red, flower very full. 11. Grajid Colbert, dark rose, 
streaked, flower full, very perfect. 12. Marie Gabrielle, fleshy 
white, flower full ; beautiful. 13. Matilde, clear cherry, 
flower very full. 14. Solfaterre, very clear yellow, flower very 
full. 15. Boule de Neige, beautiful white, flower well rounded, 
full. 16. Ophirie, yellow, with a tint of pink, flower very 
full. 17. Arlequin, clear, approaching to dark violet, spotted 
with white. 18. Desprez, white, middle yellow. 19. Proser- 
pine, very dark red, flower very full. 20. Pluton, black, 
flower very full." 

The ^^^:iter has been very successful in producing many 
beautiful varieties from seed from Germany, for which he 
obtained the Horticultural Society's premiums two successive 
years. 

The seed should be sown in June or July. The plants 
should be pricked out in groups where they are to stand in 
August. They will require but little protection. As the 
flower-stems begin to advance, they should be well staked. As 
soon as the flowers begin to expand, all inferior sorts should be 
pulled up. From good seed many fine double varieties may 
be expected in one hundred plants. 

When a good variety has been obtained, it may be perpetu- 
ated by dividing the root every year, or by cuttings of the 
young shoots. 

The Hollyhock flowers the second and third years after 
sowing, and then dies, unless its roots have been divided. 
There is no flower which makes a greater show, when planted 
in masses, than the different varieties in all their various colors, 
tints, and shades. It is in flower most of the months of July 
and August, 

8* 



90 breck's book of floweks. 

ANEMONE. 

Basque Flower. — Musk-scented Geranium. 

Anemone Pulsatilla is an old-fashioned English perennial 
border flower, easily cultivated, and described by Gerarde, the 
herbalist, in his book written two hundred and fifty years ago, 
thus : — "It hath many small leaves, finely cut or jagged, like 
those of carrots, among which rise up naked stalkes roughf, 
hairie, whereupon doe grow beautiful floures, bell-fashion, of a 
bright delaied purple color ; in the bottom whereof groweth a 
tuft of yellow thrumbs, and in the middle of the thrumbs it 
thrusteth forth a small purple pointell. When the whole flower 
is passed, there succeedeth an head or knob, compact of many 
gray hairy lockes, and in the solid part of the knob lieth the 
seed, flat and hairy, — every seed having his own small haire 
hanging at it. The root is thicke and knobby, of a finger long, 
running right down, and therefore not unlike those of the 
Anemone, which it doth in all its other parts very notably 
resemble, and whereof no doubt this is a kind." 

A. nemerosa, or Wood Anemone, is one of our earliest 
flowers in spring, appearing in April, and continuing through 
May ; found in company with violets and other vernal flowers, 
in woods and pastures, and by the side of walls and fences. It 
grows in spreading clusters, sending up its stem, bearing three 
leaves, which is crowned with one single white flower, the 
external part of which is of a reddish-purple. 

There is another indigenous species of the Anemone, a 
perennial also, called the rue-leaved, or A. thalictroides, which 
is distinguished from the last by its number of flowers and 
more finely-divided leaves. Flowers white, in April and May. 

These two species require seme care in transplanting, as the 
roots are delicate and straggling. It requires shade and 
moisture. 



ANSONIA — ANTIRRHINUM. 91 

AMSONIA. 

Amsonia latifolia. — Broad-leaved Amsonia. — Amso7iia 
salicifolia. — Willow-leaved Amsonia. — Natives of our south- 
ern states. These two species resemble each other some- 
what, except one has long, broad, peach-shaped leaves, and the 
other willow-shaped ; both are hardy perennials, with pretty 
blue flowers, two feet high, in June ; easily cultivated in almost 
any soil. 



ANTIRRHINUM. 

Snap-Dragon. 

This is a curious, as well as an ornamental, genus of plants, 
mostly perennials or biennials. The word Antirrlmmm is 
derived from words in Greek which express "similar to a 
nose." The flower bears a perfect resemblance to the snout or 
nose of some animal ; by applying the thumb and finger to the 
side of the corolla, it opens and shuts, as with a spring. It is 
described by Gerarde in his Herbal, thus : " This purple Snap- 
Dragon hath great and brittle stalks, which divideth itself into 
many fragile branches, whereupon do grow long leaves, sharp- 
pointed, very greene, like unto those of ^vild flax, but much 
greater, set by couples and set one opposite against another. 
The flowers grow at the top of the stalkes, of a purple color, 
fashioned like a frog's mouth, or rather a dragon's mouth, from 
whence the women have taken the name Snap-Dragon. The 
seed is black, contained in round husks, fashioned like a calf's 
snout, — whereupon some have called it Calf's snout, — or in 
mine opinion it is more like unto the bones of a sheep's head 
that hath been long in the water, or the flesh consumed clean 
away." 

Since Gerarde's day, the Snap-Dragon has sported into many 
varieties, not only purple but rosy, crimson, yellow, red and 
yellow, red and white, white striped, mottled, tipped, &c. It 



92 breck's book of flowers. 

is not a perfect perennial, as it is apt to die out every few 
years. The varieties may be propagated from cuttings or 
divisions of the root. It is raised abundantly from seed, flower- 
ing the first year in autumn ; but not so strong as the second 
year. Many beautiful varieties are in cultivation. It flour- 
ishes best in a dry, loamy soil, and is in flower in June or 
July. There is a beautiful Antirrhinum which grows pro- 
fusely by the road-side ; the flowers yellow and orange : A. li- 
naria, or Yellow Toad Flax. This would be desirable for the 
garden, were it not for its weedy propensity of running about 
the ground where it is not wanted. 



AQUILEGIA. 

Columbine. 

Aquilegia, from aquila, an eagle. The inverted spurs of the 
flower have been likened to the talons of a bird of prey. 

A. vulgaris, and its varieties, are too well known to require 
description. Some of them are very beautiful, and all interest- 
ing when planted in beds or masses ; they are of every shade 
of blue, purple, white, reddish-bro\ATi, striped or variegated, 
with single, semi-double, and full-double flowers. In bloom in 
May and June ; two feet high. Propagated, from seed, or the 
choice varieties by divisions of the roots. 

A. Canadense is one of the finest species ; indigenous ; com- 
mon in rocky situations ; flowering early in May. It has pen- 
dulous scarlet flowers. I have seen a variety with pure white 
flowers, and undertook to transfer it to my garden, but the root 
was wedged into a seam in a rock, and was broken off" and 
ruined m the attempt. Mr. Carter, formerly of the Botanic 
Garden, had a straw-colored variety. This elegant vernal 
flower is much improved when cultivated ; the stool increasing 
in magnitude, throwing up many more stems, and the flowers 
larger. If a little more attention could be given to its cultiva- 



ARMERIA — ASTER. 93 

tion by seed from flowers cross-impregnated from the garden 
species, no doubt some fine varieties would be obtained. 

A. glandulosa is a beautiful and newly-introduced species, 
of great beauty. The plant is more dwarfish in its habits than 
the common Columbine ; the leaves more finely divided. It is 
about one foot high, producing in June numerous large, rich, 
sky-blue flowers ; the internal part and margin of the corolla 
pure white. It is one of the most desirable of the family; 
raised from seeds or divisions of the root. Columbine should 
be divided soon after flowering, and not in the spring. AH are 
at home in any common garden soil. 



ARMERIA. 

Thrift. 

This genus contains a number of ornamental plants, gen- 
erally well adapted for rock-work. 

Armeria vulgaris is the Common Thrift of the garden, and, 
next to Box, desirable for edgings. It is rapidly multiplied by 
divisions of the root. Its pink flowers are produced in June 
or July, on stems six inches high, in little heads or clusters. 



ASTER. 

Star-Flower. 

This large genus of plants embraces more than ninety 
species, all inhabitants of the United States; some of them 
very handsome ; giving life and beauty to our fields and woods, 
during the autumnal months, by the profusion of the various 
shades of their blue, purple, or white flowers. Most of the 
family are perennials, easily transplanted when in flower, pro- 
vided they are cut down to the ground, and may be planted 
among the shrubbery or borders, and will add grace and beauty 



94 breck's book of flowers. 

to the garden. One of the finest, A. Novcb Angles, or New 
England, is a strong-growing plant, three or four feet high, 
with large purple flowers. 

A. multijlora is a very fine plant, producing its snow-white 
flowers in beautiful wreaths, having small linear leaves, of a deep 
glossy green ; two feet high. If we had never seen this so 
common, and if it had been introduced from some foreign land, 
it would no doubt produce quite a sensation among florists. 

A. puniceus has brilliant light-blue flowers ; grows three or 
four feet high. 

A. cyanus has purplish-blue flowers ; three feet high. 

A. diffusus is a beautiful species, producing a profusion of 
small white flowers with brownish disk; two to three feet high. 

A. puniceus, A. cordifolia, A. corymhomm, A. IcBvis, A. 
diver sifolia, and many others, would be valuable acquisitions 
to the large flower-garden, and all improved by transplanting. 
They would open a wide field for improvement by hybridizing. 



ASCLEPIAS. 
Swallow- Wort. 

This is a numerous genus of plants, of which there are 
found in the United States about twenty species. Many of 
them are cultivated in England as ornamental plants, and, in 
an extensive collection, they should be brought into the flower- 
garden here ; and a few of them in any collection, however 
small. 

The following are some of the species which may be found 
in New England. Nos. 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 13, are some of the 
most ornamental, and may be transplanted to gardens soon 
after flowering. They are all perennials. 

"1. Ve7wsa — has leaves elegantly variegated with white and 
crimson veins, and the stems terminate in an umbel of pale, 
flesh-colored flowers. 



ASCLEPIAS. 95 

"2. Pulckra, — Water-Silk-Weed, — has nearly erect stems, 
four or five feet high ; umbels very small ; flowers crimson- 
purple. Grows on low, wet land, by the side of ponds. 

" 3. Variegata. — Variegated, — Leaves rough, umbels com- 
pact, and coming out from the side of the stalk; flowers of a 
pleasant odor. 

"4. Nivea. — White, or Almond-leaved. — Stalks two feet 
high, and of a dark green. Leaves deep green above, and pale 
beneath, smooth and rather stiff". Flowers green, with white 
nectaries. 

" 5. IncarTiata, — Flesh-colored, — has several upright stalks 
about two feet high, at the top of which are produced close 
umbels of purple flowers ; blooms in August. 

" 6. Decumbens. — The stalks are declining, hairy, a foot 
and a half high; leaves narrow; umbels compact, at the 
extremity of the branches ; flowers a bright orange color. 

"7. Verticillata. — Stalks slender, upright; umbels at the 
extremity of the stems ; leaves in whorls of four, five, and six 
together ; flowers small and of a greenish-white color. Found 
in Roxbury and Dedham ; blooms in July. 

" 8. Tuberosa. — Butterfly-weed. — Root large, fleshy, branch- 
ing and somewhat fusiform, but it is only by comparison with 
other species that it can be called tuberous ; stems numerous, 
growing in bunches from the root, hairy and dusky red; 
flowers numerous, erect, and of a beautiful bright orange color ; 
grows in Woburn and Newton ; blooms in August. 

" 9. Obtusifolia. — Blunt-leaved. — Stems erect, supporting a 
terminal umbel, at a distance from the leaves, which are oppo- 
site, ovate, heart-shaped at the base ; flowers large, of a green- 
ish-white, tinged with red ; it is found in Cambridge and 
Mount Auburn ; blooms in July. 

" 10. Phytoloccoides. — Poke-leaved. — A tall, large-flowering 
species, of a delicate appearance ; stem erect, four or five feet 
high ; leaves large ; umbels nodding, flowers large, petals 
green, nectaries white or flesh-colored ; grows in low grounds; 
blooms in June. 



96 breck's book of flowers. 

" 1 1. Purpurescens. — Dark-flowered. — Stem erect ; flowers 
of a dark crimson purple ; grows in Cambridge and Newton, 
but is rare. 

" 12. Quadrifolia. — Four-leaved. — A delicate species, 
growing in dry woods ; stem about a foot high ; flowers flesh- 
colored ; is found in Koxbury and Brookline, and blooms in 
June. 

" 13. Amonea. — Oval-leaved. — Stalks from a foot and a 
half to three feet high; at each point are two large leaves, 
which are thickish, stiff*, smooth, with purple nerves ; umbels 
rise from the stalk and some of the upper axils ; flowers 
of a bright red color. 

"14. Syriaca. — Milk-weed, or Silk-weed. — This species 
abounds all over our country, and, for the many useful purposes 
to which it may be applied, is deserving of attention. 

The flowers of the Asclepias are produced in umbels ; all 
are very attractive to the butterfly family and other beautiful 
insects, and for this reason a few species should be introduced 
into the garden. 



BAPTISIA. 

Baptisia, from bapto, to dye : in allusion to the econom- 
ical properties of some species. A blue dye is extracted from 
the leaves. 

Baptisia australis was formerly Sophora australis, and is 
commonly called by that name. The genus Sophora has been 
much altered, and now consists chiefly of fine trees. It con- 
tains, however, two species of ornamental herbaceous plants. 
S. Jlavescens, with yellow flowers, a native of Siberia, and S. 
alcpechroides, with blue flowers, from the Levant ; the former 
two, the last four, feet high. 

Baptisia australis is considered a handsome border flower 
of the easiest culture, exceedingly hardy and indigenous to 
some parts of North America. It produces its blue flowers in 
terminal spiked racemes in June. Leaves ternate stalked ; 



BELLIS — CAMPANULA. 97 

leaflet cuneate lanceolate ; stipules longer than the stalk, lan- 
ceolate. A variety has white flowers; another with brown 
and yellow. 



BELLIS. 

Common Daisy. 

Bellis perennis. — A well-known perennial, in bloom from 
March to August ; three inches high. There are several 
varieties, as the red, white, blush, red-quilled, white-quilled, 
hen and chicken, &c. 

This beautiful little flower will not stand our winters with- 
out protection. They are best kept in a frame, where they 
can be preserved from the extreme cold weather, and exposed 
to the sun and air. 

Daisies may be propagated abundantly, by dividing the 
roots ; but these should be planted in shady borders, where 
they will not be exposed to the too powerful influence of our 
summer sun, which would absolutely destroy them, if left to its 
mercy. 

CAMPANULA. 

Bell-Flower. 

This is a large family of plants, mostly handsome, hardy, 
perennial ; some of them very beautiful, and about all suitable 
for ornamenting the borders. We have one indigenous species, 
which is very pretty, and worthy a place in the border ; found 
abundantly on the banks of Merrimack river, at and above 
Lowell. It is A'^ery much like C. roticndifolia, of England. 
Having cultivated them side by side, we can see but a shade's 
difference. Mr. Eaton calls our species also rotimdifolia. 
Each species has nearly round, or heart kidney crenate radical 
leaves, from which the specific name is given, and linear entire 
9 



9S breck's book of flowers, 

cauline ones, with drooping, solitary, fine blue flowers ; those 
of the English species being rather the largest, with the cau- 
line leaves a little broader. The common name, with us, is 
Flax Bell-flower, or Hare-bell. It is in flower in July and 
August ; one foot high. 

Campayiula viediuyn. — Canterbury Bells. — This species, 
with its varieties, may be considered one of our oldest orna- 
mental plants, having for a long time been cultivated in our 
gardens ; it is, nevertheless, a showy plant, and will doubtless 
always be retained as a prominent ornament of the border. 
The varieties are rose, blue, and white, double and single. 
The double varieties, however, are much inferior to the single 
ones, and will be cultivated only for their singularity. Being 
biennials, it will be necessary to sow the seeds every year. 
The young plants must be transplanted to the place in which 
they are to flower, in August or September, for if deferred until 
spring the bloom will be greatly weakened ; the same holds 
good with all biennials, and most seedling perennials. 

Campanula perskafolia. — Peach-leaved Campanula. — This 
is one of the finest species, containing a number of beautiful 
varieties, with large, showy flowers, more bowl-shaped than 
the last. The varieties are single and double blue, single and 
double white, maxima or large peach-leaved, and grandis or 
large flowering. All of them are perfectly hardy, with hand- 
some foliage, which makes them valuable as border flowers. 
Stems angular ; leaves stiff"; obsoletely crenate serrate ; radical 
ones, oblong ovate ; cauline ones, lanceolate linear; three feet 
high ; in flower in June and July. 

Campanula pyramidalis. — Pyramidal Bell-flower. — This 
is a grand ornament, when cultivated in perfection, forming a 
pyramid from four to six feet high, producing innumerable 
flow^ers for two or three months, if shaded from the sun. It 
was formerly a great favorite in England, but its popularity 
has long since passed aAvay to give place to other more fash- 
ionable flowers, which have in their turn also been succeeded 
by other rivals more fair. But the old-fashioned Hollanders 



CAMPANULA. 99 

are not quite so fickle ; flowers with them seem, to be esteemed, 
notwithstanding their antiquity. The Pyramidal Bell-flower is 
said to be in demand there still, as an ornament to halls, stair- 
cases, and for being placed before fire-places in the summer 
seasons. 

" By Seeds. — The plants so raised, are always stronger, and 
the stalks rise higher, and produce a great number of flowers. 
They are to be sown in pots of light earth, soon after being 
gathered, protected by a frame during winter, and will come 
up in the spring. When the leaves decay, in October, they are 
to be transplanted to beds of light, sandy earth, without any 
mixture of dung, which is a great enemy to this plant. Here 
they are to remain two years, being protected by rotten tan ; 
they are then to be removed to their final destination, in Sep- 
tember or October ; and the year following, being the third 
year from sowing, they will flower. 

" The C. carpartica, grandifiora, and several other showy 
species, may be similarly treated." 

Seedling plants, in our climate, will flower the second year, 
generally ; some not until the third. A slight protection is 
necessary during winter. 

Campanula grandifiora is now separated from Campanula, 
and is united with the small genus Wahlenbergia, and is called 
Wahlenlergia grandifiora. 

Campanula tracheliion. — Throatwort. — There are four 
varieties of this species, viz., single and double blue, single and 
double white ; flowers from July to August ; three or four feet 
high. 

Campamda rapiinculus. — Rampion. — A native of the 
woods of Britain, and cultivated not only for ornament, but 
also, " in France and Italy, and sometimes in Britain, for the 
roots, w^hich are boiled tender and eaten hot, with sauce, or cold 
with vinegar and pepper. It is sown in the spring, on deep, 
light soil, in drills, and will be ready for use by the autumn of 
the same year. C. persicafoUa and rapzmcnloides may also be 



100 breck's book of flowers. 

cultivated for the same purpose." A biennial, with purple 
flowers in July and August ; three feet high. 

Campanula glomereta, — Cluster-flowered, — " is a handsome 
rock or pot plant ; it requires a dry, lean soil, otherwise, as in 
most plants, the flowers lose the intensity of their color in that 
which is very rich." Flowers purple, in clustered heads, in 
May and June ; two feet high ; a native of Siberia. Leaves 
scabrous, oblong lanceolate sessile. Campanula urticifolia, spe- 
ciosa, versicolor, azurea, bononiensis, lactiflora, aggregata, with 
numerous other species, are worthy of a place in every garden, 
as they are easily cultivated, succeed admirably in our climate, 
and will endure the severest of winters. But a small portion 
of this large genus require protection. 



CARDAMINE. 



Cardamine pratensis plena. — Double Cardamine. — A hardy 
perennial, from Britain, one foot high, with double white 
flowers, in May or June ; propagated by dividing the root. 



CASSIA. 

Cassia Marylandica. — Maryland Cassia. — A hardy, indig- 
enous perennial, four feet high, with yellow flowers, from 
August to September. Many of this genus are beautiful 
plants, but mostly tender ; some species are sensitive, and close 
their leaves in wet weather, or at the approach of night. 



CATANANCHE. 

Catananche cerulea. — Blue Catananche. — A handsome per- 
ennial, from the south of Europe, one and a half foot high, with 



CHRYSANTHEMUM. 101 

brilliant blue flowers in July and August. Propagated from 
seed and by parting the roots. 



CHRYSANTHEMUM. 

Chinese Chrysanthemum. 

This is one of the handsomest autumnal flowers, and easily 
cultivated in almost any soil. It stands the winter without 
covering, but is best cultivated in pots, where it can receive 
protection when in bloom, in severe weather in autumn. In 
warm seasons, it flowers well in October and November, in a 
sheltered place, in the open ground. The plants may be culti- 
vated in the garden till they are in bud, when they may be 
safely transferred to pots ; but it would be better to commence 
their cultivation from the slip or cutting, in the spring, and 
sink the pots into the ground, in a shady place, until the time 
of talcing up. The varieties are endless, early and late, tassel- 
flowered, quilled, flat-petalled, &c., with every shade of light 
purple, yellow, white, lilac, blush brown, red brown, &c. 

For common culture, divide the roots in the spring, and 
plant them out, where they are to stand, in a warm exposure, 
in good rich loam. As they are coming into bud, give them 
occasional waterings with liquid manure. 

To produce handsome, dwarf, bushy plants, the following 
course may be adopted, as practised by Youell & Co., Eng- 
land, which course, they say, "if carried out, will ensure 
dwarf plants from one and a half to two feet high, covered with 
rich dark-green foliage, and carrying blooms from five to seven 
inches in diameter. In the last week in May we select the 
tops of the strongest shoots for cuttings, putting four or five 
round the edge of a three-inch pot, and placing them in a 
gentle w^armth. When rooted, they are potted singly in the 
same sized pot, and kept in a close frame, for a few days, until 
they have become established. The tops may then be pinched 
out, leaving five or six joints to remain for lateral shoots. 
9# 



102 breck's book of flowers. 

After a few days' hardening off, they are then removed to an 
open situation, allowing the plants a sufficient distance from 
each other to prevent their drawing, care being observed that 
they do not suffer from want of water. About the third week 
in July, we shift, for blooming, into seven-inch pots, using a 
small handful of coarsely-broken bones at the bottom. The 
soil we use consists of equal parts of well decayed (one year 
old) pig manure, turfy loam, and leaf-mould, adding half a 
barrowful of peat, and half ditto of road-drift to every four 
barrows of the above. When potted, they are placed in rows 
two feet apart, and they require but little attention, except 
watering, for two months. At the expiration of this period, 
we commence watering twice a week with liquid manure, 
made with one bushel of fresh pig manure (free from straw) 
to about eighty gallons of water. This will be ready for use in 
two or three daj^s. As soon as the plants show flower-buds, 
we tie each shoot to a stick, and train them fan-shaped. Dis- 
budding ought now to be attended to, reserving only one, or, 
at most, two, at the top of each shoot ; but where two are left, 
it is better to take out the second bud, and leave the third, to 
prevent confusion. As soon as the buds show color, the plants 
are then removed to the green-house or conservatory, giving 
plenty of air, and substituting water for liquid manure. We 
ought to have mentioned that, where a profusion of bloom is 
required, two or three plants may be inserted in the pots where 
only one is usually grown. This will afford an opportunity 
of cutting away the weakest shoots, and reserving the strongest 
only." 



C II E L N E . 

Chelone harhata. — Scarlet Chelone. — A half hardy perennial, 
from Mexico, three feet high, from July to September, with 
orange scarlet flowers. It will be necessary to cover it well 
with fine boughs or straw, in the winter, or they may be 



CLEMATIS. 



103 



destroyed by the cold. All the species are handsome border 
flowers, of easy culture in a loam and peat soil, and can be 
propagated by parting the roots, or by seed. 



CLEMATIS. 
Virgin's Bower. 

Clematis, from Greek, a tendril ; in allusion to the climbing 
habits of most of the species. The species are mostly climbing 
shrubs, or herbaceous perennials, of rapid growth, free bloomers, 
very ornamental, and some are highly odoriferous. 

C. Virginicum is a native plant, well known as a great 
climber, growing profusely upon the banks of our rivers and 
wet places ; taking possession and covering all the shrubs in 
its neighborhood, to which it attaches itself by its petioles, 
which are given off, at intervals, in pairs, twining round objects 
for support, and serving the purpose of tendrils. The flowers 
are white, borne upon cymes, and make a handsome appear- 
ance the beginning of August. The most remarkable appear- 
ance of this plant is when in fruit; the long feathery tails of 
seeds separating like tufts of wool. It grows twenty feet or 
more in a season, most of which perishes, leaving but a small 
portion shrubby. It makes an appropriate covering for an 
arbor or wall ; for, whether in flower or seed, it is ornamental. 

C. alpina, or erecta, is strictly an herbaceous plant, growing 
from three to four feet high, producing large families of white 
flowers in August. It requires support, as it has the propensity 
to attach itself to everything in its neighborhood, like the last, 
by its petioles. 

Clematis integrifolia. — Entire-leaved. — A handsome, up- 
right plant, about two feet high, producing nodding, bell-shaped, 
blue flowers, most of the season. 

C. vitacella is a much admired species, with blue flowers, 
which ars produced from June to September, on long peduncles, 



104 breck's book of flowers. 

from the axils of the leaves; rather bell-shaped, and nodding. 
It is a climber, growing from eight to ten feet in a season; 
dying down to the ground, in this climate, but otherwise hardy. 
There is a variety with double flowers, others with brownish 
red flowers, and several improved varieties. 

C. flammula is a luxuriant climber, producing clusters of 
small white flowers, in August and September. 

C. Jlorida has large white flowers ; like the last, a luxuriant 
climber. There is a variety with double flowers. 

C. Sieloldii. — Siebold's Virgin's Bower. — This magnificent 
plant is said to be a variety of C. Jlorida, and, till lately, treated 
as a green-house plant, but which has proved as hardy as the 
other sorts. The flowers are three or four inches in diameter, 
the outer sepals, or petals, a creamy white, filled up with others, 
disposed of in many series, the groundwork of which is 
white, suffused with a rich purple. No plant possesses a 
stronger claim to a place in the flower-garden, from its graceful 
habit, and from the size and beauty of its blossoms. 

The plant thrives best in a mixture of loam and peat, and 
is increased by layers. It was introduced by Dr. Siebold, from 
Japan, a few years since. I have kept it two winters, by 
covering it lightly with coarse manure. 

C. azurea grandijlora, or Great-flowering Blue Virgin's 
Bower, has still larger flowers than the variety Sieboldii. It has 
the reputation of being more tender, requiring greater heat to 
bring it to perfection. With me, it stood near the other species 
two winters, with the same protection. The flowers are pro- 
duced only on the old wood ; it is necessary, therefore, to lay 
down, and cover the growth of the season, to insure bloom the 
next year. The flowers are four or five inches in diameter, of 
a rich blue, in July ; a climber, like the last, but not of so 
robust growth. 

Besides the species and varieties enumerated, there are 
many others, esteemed ornamental. 



CONVALLARIA. 105 

CONVALLARIA. 
Solomon's Seal. 

f No flower amid the garden fairer grows 
' Than the sweet Lily of the lowly vale, 
The queen of flowers." 

ConvaUaria majalis. — Lily of the Valley. — An elegant 
and delicate, sweet-scented plant, which for ages has been a 
favorite flower, and highly prized. It succeeds well in the 
shade in any soil, and soon spreads itself, by its slender, creep- 
ing roots, beyond the desire of the cultivator. It flowers in 
May and June. Gerarde describes it, in his quaint way, thus : 
" The Lilly of the Vally hath many leaves like the smallest 
leaves of Water Plantaine, among which riseth vp a naked 
stalke, halfe a foot high, garnished with many white floures, 
like bels, with blunt and turned edges, of a strong savour, yet 
pleasant enoughf, which being past, there come small, red 
berries, much like the berries of asparagus, wherein the seed is 
contained." 

ConvaUaria raceviosa, or Solomon's Seal, is a hardy, indige- 
nous perennial, with yellow and white flowers, on terminal 
raceme panicles, in May ; two feet high. 

ConvaUaria muUiJlora, or Giant Solomon's Seal, is another 
native perennial, two or three feet high, with white flowers, in 
the axil of the leaves, in June. Both sorts are appropriate for 
the shrubbery or borders. Gerarde, our old author, speaking 
of the virtues of the plant, says, " that the roots are excellent 
good for to seale or close up greene wounds, being stamped and 
laid thereon, whereupon it was called Sigillum Salomoni's, for 
the singular virtue it hath in sealing or healing vp wounds, 
broken bones, and such like." He further says, " The root of 
Solomon's Seale, stamped while it is fresh and greene, and 
applied, taketh away, in one night, or two, at the most, any 
bruise, blacke or bleu spots, gotten by fals, or women's wilful- 
nesse, in stumbling upon their hasty husbands' fists, or such 
like." A very useful plant, one would think, for some families 
to cultivate. 



106 breck's book of flowers. 

CONVOLVULUS. 

Morning Glory. 

Convolvulus, from convolvere, to entwine. This is an 
extensive genus, of much beauty. The sweet potato belongs 
to this family. Nearly all are climbers. 

Convolvulus panduratus. — Virginian Convolvulus. — This is 
a beautiful perennial, from Virginia, with large, white flowers 
and purple centre; grows twelve feet high, flowering from 
June to September. A variety has double flowers; roots 
tuberous. 

Convolvulus arve?isis. — Small White Convolvulus. — Hand- 
some, indigenous, perennial, flowering in June or July; stem 
climbing. 

CORONILLA. 

Coronilla varia is the only hardy herbaceous perennial with 
which we are acquainted in the genus. It is worthy a place 
in the flower-garden, provided it is kept within due bounds. 
This may be done by digging round the plant, every spring, 
with a spade, and removing from the ground all its young, 
creeping roots, which otherwise would be too neighborly Avith 
the other plants in its vicinity. Treated in this way, if the 
soil is not very rich, it will give an immense number of its 
pretty coronets of purple and white, or pink flowers, in long 
succession, and they are generally admired. Leaves pinnate ; 
leaflets numerous, lanceolate, smooth. Stem lax, four feet 
high, requiring support from wire or light rods. 



COREOPSIS. 



Among the numerous family of Coreopsis, are nicluded a 
number of showy perennials, wiih yellow flowers, all perfectly 
hardy, and easily propagated by division of the roots. 



COREOPSIS. 107 

Coreopsis lanceolata, — Lance-leaved, — is a fine species, 
with lanceolate leaves, producing a profusion of large, rich, 
yellow flowers, upon long peduncles, (flower-stems,) which 
begin to open in June, and give a continued succession until 
autumn. Height about two feet. This is almost the only- 
perennial which produces yellow compound flowers, so early 
in summer. A small root, planted in April, will make a large 
plant by autumn. All the species are propagated by dividing 
the roots. They flourish in moist soils, but I have found them 
most luxuriant in a deep, black loam, inclining to moisture. 
In flower most of the summer. 

Coreopsis verticillata. — Leaves verticillate (given off in a 
circle round the stem) ; opposite, sessile (without footstalks) ; 
temate (in threes) ; or quinite (in fives) ; leaflets linear lance- 
olate, entire ; rays of the flower acute, pale yellow ; disk, or 
centre, dark brown. The flowers have a peculiar, star-shaped 
appearance. It is said the florets are used to dye cloth red. 
It is a handsome shrubbery or border plant, continuing from 
July to October in bloom. 

Coreopsis tenuifolia. — Slender-leaved, — The foliage of this 
species very much resembles the last, with this difference, it is 
much more delicate and finer. The flowers are of the same 
shape, a deep, shining yellow, having its disk also yellow ; not 
more than a foot high : in bloom in July and August. A hand- 
some plant, suitable for the front of the border. 

Coreopsis tripteris. — Three-leaved. — A tall, handsome plant, 
suitable for the shrubbery, six feet high. Leaves on the stems 
in threes ; lanceolate, entire ; radical ones pinnate ; flowers yel- 
low ; from August to October. 

Coreopsis grandifiora. — Great-flowered. — The flowers are 
not so large, however, as C. lanceolata, nor so handsome. Its 
habits are different from the other species, having creeping 
roots, which throw up, in every direction, stems not more than 
one foot high, with compound, much divided leaves ; leaflets 
linear. As an exception to the other species, this is somewhat 
tender, and requires protection. 



lOS breck's book of flowers. 

There were as many as thirty species formerly included in 
this genus, all of which are more or less ornamental, and 
suitable for the shrubbery or border. Latterly, some of the 
species have been distributed among the genus Actinomeris, 
Simsia, and Calliopsis. In the last, C. tinctoria is now 
arranged. 



CORYDALIS. 

Fumitory. 

Corydalis fungosa. — Wood Fringe, or Climbing Fumitory. — 
An elegant, indigenous, biennial, climbing vine, growing, fre- 
quently, in rich ground, from fifteen to thirty feet, in one season ; 
with pink and white flowers, which are produced in abundance 
during the three summer months ; handsome foliage. Propa- 
gated from seed, which should be sown in April. The first 
year, the plant makes but little progress ; but the second year, 
it is of more vigorous growth. The young plants will do best 
to be transplanted Avhere to remain in July and August ; but 
will bear moving in the spring, if done with much care. 

Corydalis formosa. — Red-flowered Corydalis. — A handsome 
indigenous perennial, with flesh-colored or reddish flowers, 
from May to July ; from six to ten inches high. 

Corijdalis cucullaria. — Naked-stalked Corydalis, or Dutch- 
man's Breeches. — An indigenous perennial, with elegant, 
finely-divided leaves, of a pale and delicate green, from the 
bosom of which arises a scape bearing a one-sided, simple 
raceme of white, singular-looking, pendulous flowers. 

It is vulgarly called Dutchman's Breeches, on account of the 
resemblance of the corolla to that article of dress. Flowers in 
May. 

Corydalis glauca. — Glaucus-leaved F.umitory. — An indige- 
nous biennial, from one to three feet high, with glaucous leaves; 
flowers yellow, red, and green, in June ; propagated by seed. 

There are six or seven species of the Corydalis, all indige- 
nous, some of them to be found in New England. A very 



CYPREPEDItJM — CYNOGLOSSUM — DELPHINIUM. 109 

pretty genus, most of them early flowering, and elegant plants, 
and worthy of cultivation. 



CTPREPEDIUM. 

Ladij's Slipper. 

Cyprepeditim, from Greek words, Venus, and a slipper, 
m allusion to the elegant slipper-like form of the labellum. 
Handsome indigenous plants, that thrive only in a shady border 
and peat soil. 

The most common species is C. hiimile, or Two-leaved Ladies' 
Slipper, or Whip-poor-will Shoe. It is found in rich and some- 
what shady woods, with two broad-plaited leaves, from which 
rises a leafless scape, producing a solitary white and purple 
flower, six or eight inches high. There are six species to be 
found in the United States, with white, yellow, and purple and 
white, or green flowers, all of them singular in shape. 



CYNOGLOSSUM. 

JVavelwort. 

It is a beautiful little perennial plant, with brilliant blue 
flowers, in April and May ; six inches high, and is common in 
every cottager's garden in England; and would be here, if 
more extensively known. 



DELPHINIUM. 
Larkspur. 

There are many species and varieties of the perennial Lark- 
spur, which are indispensable in a collection of plants ; all hardy, 
flourish in almost any soil, and easily propagated by dividing 
the roots. The double varieties are in flower most of the sea- 
10 



110 breck's book of flowers. 

son. The brilliancy of the blue color of some of the flowers 
cannot be surpassed. 

Delphinium sine7isis pleno. — Double Chinese. — This is one 
of the most magnificent of herbaceous plants. It can be prop- 
agated only by dividing the roots, as it does not produce seed ; 
it is perfectly hardy, enduring the coldest weather without pro- 
tection ; it is best to give a little, however, as it will flower 
stronger for it. The flowers are of a most beautiful lively 
blue, in long open spikes, upon graceful, slender, purplish stems, 
three feet high. From June to October it displays its beauty, 
and is indispensable in the formation of a perfect bouquet. 
Foliage palmate, many-parted. 

Delphinium elatiivx. — (Upright.) — Bee Larkspur. — So 
called on account of the bifid termination of the nectary in 
the centre of the corolla, in connection with the anthers having 
a fancied resemblance to a bee. 

This species, from its height, which is from five to seven 
feet, is well adapted to the shrubbery ; its long, clustered spike 
of fine blue flowers making a fine appearance in that depart- 
ment. It is also suitable for the border, but should be planted 
at the greatest distance from the walk. Leaves downy, five- 
lobed ; lobes cuneate (wedge shape) at the base, trifid cut. 
Propagated by seed or divisions of the roots. 

The plant is covered with soft green down. It sports into 
many varieties, from pale-blue to dark, and blue with a white , 
centre, which is very beautiful. I 

Delphinium Darlowii^ — Barlow's Larkspur, — is a species 
or variety apparently intermediate between the Great-flowering 
and Bee Larkspur. It sends up a stem from three to five feet 
high, much branched at the top, covered with innumerable 
dark blue flowers in June and July, partaking somewhat of 
the character of the Bee Larkspur. Propagated by divisions 
of the root. 

Delphinium grandijlorum. — Great-flowered. — One of the 
most showy of the genus, sporting into many varieties. Its i 
height is from two to three feet, and continues to give a succes- 



DIANTHUS. Ill 

sion of flowers from June to October ; which are large, of a 
fine blue, purple or white, double and single, and often spotted 
or shaded on each petal with copper color on the dark varieties, 
or with green on the white. Leaves palmate, (hand-shaped,) 
many parted. 

It is propagated by dividing the roots in the spring, about the 
time it begins to vegetate, or it may be divided with success in 
August. By sowing the seed, new varieties may be expected, 
which, if done early, will flower in autumn. Nothing is more 
pleasant than to originate a new variety. It must not be sup- 
posed, however, that there will be much chance short of a hun- 
dred plants. It has flourished with me in a variety of soils. It 
will, in fact, grow anywhere without difficulty, only requiring 
to be divided every few years, when the roots become large. 
It is said to be a native of Siberia, and, of course, must be 
hardy. 

Among a multitude of beautiful seedlings of my own raising, 
I have selected two as worthy of cultivation. The one named 
Delphinium Breckii, No. 1, has large double flowers of the 
most exquisite blue, which display themselves from June to 
November. It is generally acknowledged to be finer than the 
Double Chinese, The plant is more erect in its growth, from 
two to two and a half feet high; the color a clear, light, 
vivid, ultramarine blue. 

Breck's No. 2, is darker colored than the last, and not quite 
so double, but makes a fine show. 



DIANTHUS. 

Pink. 

Bianthiis, signifying the flower of God, or divine flower; 
so named on account of its preeminent beauty. Most of the 
species of this genus are highly valued, not only for the beauty 
of their flowers, but also as being evergreens ; their foliage, 
during winter, being as abundant and as vivid as in summer. 



112 breck's book of flowers. 

The fragrance of some of the species is peculiarly grateful, and 
no plant in this respect surpasses the Clove and some other 
varieties of the Pink. 

Dianthus caryophyllus. — Carnation Pink. — There is no 
flower more desirable in the flower-garden than the Carnation. 
A well-grown, superior variety, cannot be surpassed, in ele- 
gance, beauty, or odor, by any other flower ; yet we scarcely 
ever see it in perfection. Its cultivation is attended with many 
difficulties, in our climate, which may account for its rarity. 
Our winters are too severe, and springs too changeable, to keep 
them in perfection in the open ground ; and then our summers 
are too dry and hot for the full development of its beauties. 
Seedlings stand the winter and spring without difficulty, with 
a light covering of leaves and evergreen boughs, and flower 
very well ; but then not one plant in a hundred will be consid- 
ered worth saving by the florist, although they will all be inter- 
esting as single, semi-double, or irregular flowers, and richly 
repay all the labor. Valuable varieties are generally propa- 
gated from layers, which often keep very well in the open ground 
by letting them remain with the parent plant, and covering 
them with leaves and pine boughs ; but the most certain way 
is, when the layers have taken root, to pot them, and at the 
approach of winter put them in a frame where they may be 
kept with perfect safety, provided air is given them in mild 
weather, and they are not exposed to the sun when in a frozen 
state. The mice are very destructive to all the pink family ; 
therefore the frame must be tight. 

Carnations are arranged by florists into three classes, viz., 
Flakes, Bizarres, and Picotees. Flakes have two colors only ; 
their stripes large, going quite through the petals. Bizarres 
are variegated, in irregular spots and stripes, with not less than 
three colors. Picotees have a white ground, spotted or pounced 
with scarlet, red, purple, or other colors. The finer sorts are 
regularly edged with these colors, on a clear white or yellow 
ground. The petals of a perfect flower should be rose-leaved, 
or with entire edges ; the flower should be filled up in a reg- 



DUNTHUS. 1 13 

ular manner with leaves of this description. It flowers in 
July. On a strong plant the stem will be three feet high. 

The propagation of the Carnation by layers is a very simple 
operation. When the plant is in perfection of bloom, lay 
around it one and a half or two inches of compost, first gently 
stirring the surface so that it may combine ; remove the lower 
leaves of the shoots selected ; pass the penknife, slanting up- 
wards, half through the joint; fasten the shoot, where so cut, 
about two inches under the surface, with a small hooked peg, 
bending it carefully so as not to break at the incision ; then fix 
it firmly by gently pressing the earth around with the fingers, 
and finish by cutting off about half an inch of ^le upper 
extremities of the leaves with scissors. The sap soon begins 
to granulate at the wound, and throv/ out roots. In about a 
month or six weeks, if it has been kept moderately moist, they 
may be severed from the parent plant and established for them- 
selves; or they may remain where they are, if the stem to 
which they are attached be carefully cut off. 

The Carnation requires a rich, generous, deep soil. A com- 
post of three parts of good, strong garden loam, three parts hot- 
bed manure, two years old, three parts of coarse river sand, 
two parts dry manure from a hen-house, sifted, and two parts 
of soot from a wood fire, has been recommended for the Car- 
nation. 

D. hortensis. — Garden Pink. — This species is in perfection 
about the last of June. The foliage is more grass-like, and 
the plant much hardier, than the Carnation. The double vari- 
eties are very desirable, not only for their beauty, but also for 
their fragrance. They may be propagated by dividing the 
roots, by layers, and by pipings. The surest mode of propaga- 
tion is by layers, but piping is generally resorted to for Pinks. 
These are shoots cut from the plant at the second or third 
joint, according as they are more or less woody or juicy, and 
inserted, close to each other, in a bed of proper compost well 
pulverized; water moderately, so that the earth may adhere 
closely round the shoots ; when the moisture has somewhat 
10^ 



114 breck's book of flowers. 

evaporated from the leaves, cover them up with a hand glass, 
which must be forced a little depth into the ground so as to 
keep out the air. This need hardly be removed until the 
plants have taken root; they must be shaded, however, the 
first fourteen days, with mats over the glasses, when the sun is 
very hot. If properly managed, not one in twenty will miss, 
and between one and two hundred may be planted under one 
glass ; in a month or six weeks they will be sufficiently rooted 
to move. Carnations are sometimes raised from pipings, but 
they are not so sure as Pinks to take root. This variety is 
often called the Paisley Pink, on account of its having been 
raised in the highest perfection among the weavers near Pais- 
ley, in England. A good Pink should have a strong, elastic, 
and erect stem, not less than one foot high. The petals should 
be large and broad, with very fine-fringed edges, the nearer 
rose-leaved the better. The ground-work of the flower should 
be pure white, or rose-colored, with a dark, rich crimson, or 
purple eye, resembling velvet; if nearly black, so much the 
richer. A delicate margin, or lacing, round the entire petal, 
if the color of the eye, increases its beauty. The flower should 
be from two to two and a half inches in diameter. ' 

Dianthzis Chinensis. — China Pink. — This species is a bien-" 
nial of great beauty, but without fragrance ; of dwarf habits. 
The foliage is of a yellowish green. It flowers from seed the 
first year ; it is perfectly hardy, and flowers strong the second 
year. The colors are exceedingly rich ; crimson, and dark 
shades of that color approaching to black, are often combined 
in the same flower, with edgings of white, pink, or other col- 
ors. Seed, saved from double flowers, wiU produce a great 
portion of double varieties. In beds where there may be a hun- 
dred plants, scarcely two will be found alike. They are in 
flower a number of months. 

Dianthus barbatus, — Sweet William, — is an old inhab- 
itant of the flower-garden, and was much esteemed in Ge- 
rarde's time, " for its beauty to deck up the bosoms of the beau- 
tiful, and garlands and crowns for pleasure." It is an imperfect 



DICTAMNUS. 115 

perennial, but fine varieties are easily perpetuated by dividing 
the roots, soon after flowering-, in June or July. It is easily 
raised from seeds. A bed of fine varieties presents a rich 
sight; it sports into endless varieties, viz., white, pink, purple, 
crimson, scarlet, variously edged, eyed, and spotted. There 
are also double varieties, but they are no improvement over the 
single. 

Dianthus superhus. — Superb Pink. — This is one of the 
most fragrant of pinks, flowering in July and August ; two 
feet high; the petals are very much cut or fringed; flowers 
white. 

Dianthus plumaris, — Feathered Pink. — The edges of the 
flower are deeply fringed, or feathered ; very fragrant ; twelve 
to eighteen inches high in July ; white, or pink, with a dark 
eye ; sometimes called Pheasant-eyed Pink. 

Dianthus alpinus. — Alpine or Dwarf Pink. — A pretty little 
perennial, suitable for rock-work, with creeping roots ; although 
not aspiring, (not exceeding three or four inches in height,) 
soon takes possession of all the ground in the neighborhood. 
The flowers are white, or flesh color, variegated with a circle 
of red, or purple, in June and July. 

There are many other species and varieties of Pinks, annual, 
biennial, and perennial, all worthy a place in the garden. 



DICTA MNUS. 

Dictamnus frazinella, — Red Fraxinella, — an ancient name 
of what is now supposed to be the Origanum dictamnus. 
Fraxinella, in allusion to the remarkable similarity which 
exists between the leaves of the plant and Fraxinus, the ash. 
The whole plant, especially when gently rubbed, emits an odor 
like that of the lemon-peel, but, when bruised, has something 
of a balsamic scent. This fine scent is strongest in the pedicels 
of the flowers, which are covered with glands, of a rusty red 
color, exuding a viscous juice, or resin, which exhales in vapor, 



116 breck's book of flowers. 

and in a dark place may be seen to take fire. It flowers from 
May to July ; three feet high ; from Germany. There is also 
a variety of species with white flowers ; propagated by parting 
the roots. 



DIGITALIS. 

Foxglove. 

Digitalis; named, by Fuchs, from digitabulum, a thimble 
in allusion to the form of the flowers. 

The species are, for the most part, showy border flowers, of 
easy culture. 

Digitalis purpurea^ with purple flowers ; also a variety, D. 
alba, with white flowers ; ornamental plants of great beauty, 
producing dense spikes of flowers on stems, three, four, or five 
feet high, in June and July, and straggling spikes most of the 
season. It is a biennial, propagated by sowing the seed, which 
flower the second year. The plant sometimes flowers the third 
year. It may be perpetuated by dividing the roots every year, 
and is sometimes called an imperfect perennial. 

The plant is a violent poison, but valuable in medicine. It 
is suitable for the border, and may be introduced into the shrub- 
bery with fine effect, as its tall, spire-like spikes, crowned with 
its large thimble or bell-shaped purple or white flower, will 
finely contrast with the green foliage of the shrubs. 

Digitalis ferruginea, ox \xon-co\oxe([ Foxglove; a hardy per- 
ennial, with brown flowers, from July to August; four feet 
high. 

Digitalis lutea, or Small Yellow Foxglove ; a hardy peren- 
nial, with light yellow flowers, from July to August; two 
feet high. 

Digitalis ochrolcuca. — Great Yellow Foxglove. — A hardy 
perennial, with large light yellow flowers, from July to Au- 
gust ; four feet high. 



DEDOCATHEON — DRACOCEPHALTTM. 117 

Digitalis lanata, — Woolly-flowered Foxglove, — with white 
and brown flowers, from July to August ; two feet high. 



DODECATHEON. 

Dodecatheon is a name of the Romans, signifying twelve gods 
or divinities. 

B. media. — American Cowslip. — A highly ornamental 
plant, displaying its flowers in May and June ; throwing up 
stems a foot high, with a large, umbel-like cluster of singularly 
beautiful pale purple flowers. The petals are reflexed, or 
thrown back from the centre, like the Cyclamen. There is a 
variety with white flowers. Soon after flowering, the foliage 
dies down, and the plant is dormant during the summer, when 
it may be propagated by parting the roots, leaving a bud, or 
the rudiments of one, on the crown of each. It is a native 
of the west and south, and perfectly hardy. 



DRACOCEPHALUM. 
Dragon's Head. 

Dracoccphalum, from Greek words signifying a dragon's 
head, because the flowers are fancied to resemble a dragon's 
head. Most of the species are hardy perennials, easily propa- 
gated from divisions of the root, and worthy of a place in the 
garden. 

D. Virginicum is a beautiful plant, producing its flowers in 
dense, one-sided clusters, or spikes, of a purplish color, on 
stems three feet high, from July to September. 

D. dentatum, — Dentated-leaved Dragon's-Head, — resembles 
the last, but of a more dwarf habit ; two feet high ; flowers 
pink, in July and August. 

D. variegatum. — Variegated Dragon's-head. — Flowers 
pink, variegated with darker shades. 



118 breck's book of flowers. 

D. speciosum. — Showy Dragon's-Head. — Pink flowers, in 
July and August; three feet high; a native of Siberia, 

D. Sibericum. — Siberian Dragon's-Head. — One foot high, 
from Siberia, with light-blue flowers, in July and August. 



EPILOBIUM. 
Willow Herb. 

Epilobmm, from Greek words, signifying a flower grow- 
ing upon a pod. E. augustifoUum, and other species, are val- 
uable in shrubberies as thriving under the drip of trees, and 
succeed everywhere, even in the smoke of cities, and in parks. 
It is a good plant to adorn pieces of water, being hardy, and 
of rapid increase, and very showy when in flower. 

The species E. spicatum and E. coloratum are indigenous, 
and may be found growing in great luxuriancy on newly- 
cleared land, among the raspberry bushes, and in other locali- 
ties. It produces dense spikes of purplish red flowers, three or 
four feet high, in July and August. It is often thought to be 
a species of Phlox, by persons unacquainted with botany, as at 
a short distance it has some resemblance to some of that family ; 
but, iipon examination, it will be found to be very different. It 
is easily propagated by cuttings of its long, straggling roofs. 
It is found growing in rather a light soil. 



ERYTHRONIUM. 

Dog's-tooth Violet. 

E. Americanum, — Yellow-flowered Dog's-tooth Violet, — 
IS a beautiful native plant, found in moist woods and thickets. 
Its roots are bulbous, running deep into the ground ; they cannot 
be removed in safety in the spring ; in July, they may be 
carefully dug up and planted in a shady place in the garden 
Flowers yellow in May ; three inches high. 



EUPHORBIA — EUPATORIUM. 119 

EUPHORBIA 

Spurge. 

Euphorbia corollata. — Great-flowered Euphorbia, — This is 
one of the most elegant species peculiar to the United States ; 
a perennial, with subdivided umbels of conspicuous white 
flowers, and narrowish, oblong obtuse leaves. This plant is 
not uncommon in the sandy fields of the Middle States, and is 
in flower in June and July. Propagated by divisions of the 
root. 

Euphorlia lathyris. — Common Caper. — A half-hardy bien- 
nial. A plant of handsome appearance, with inferior flowers 
from May to September, — from England. From three to four 
feet high. The plants will stand the winter without protection, 
but are oftentimes entirely destroyed. A few plants should be 
taken up and placed in a dry cellar, and planted out in the 
spring. 

EUPATORIUM. 

Thoroughwort. 

Eupatorium purptcreum. — Purple Thoroughwort. — Purple 
flowers in August ; perennial ; four to six feet high ; indige- 
nous ; leaves in fours and fives. This plant cannot be said to 
be elegant, yet it is not destitute of beauty, and will be a val- 
uable acquisition to the shrubbery. Its tall stem terminates in 
large corymbs of small shining purple flowers. 

Eiipatorium cailestinum. — Sky-blue Eupatorium. — A peren- 
nial ; two feet high. This is the most beautiful species in exist- 
ence. It grows wild, from the Potomac to the Mississippi. Its 
flowers, produced very late in autumn, are of a beautiful smalt 
or sky-blue. The roots of this species are creeping, from which 
it is easily propagated. 

Etipatorhmi perfoliatum, — Bone-set, or Medicinal Thorough- 
wort, — is a plant whose medicinal virtues are held in high 
estimation ; but it has no claim to beauty. 



120 breck's book of floweks. 

GENTIAN A. 

Gentian. 

Gentiana saponaria. — Barrel-flowered Gentian. — A hand- 
some indigenous perennial, with blue flowers in September. 
From one and a half to two feet high. A curious, barrel- 
shaped flower, to be found on the margin of streams. It may 
be transplanted to the garden without difficulty. 

Gentiana crinata. — Fringed Gentian. — An elegant, deli- 
cate flower, that may be found in meadows in September and 
October, and ranked with one of our handsomest indigenous 
plants. The corolla is pale-blue, four-cleft, segments finely 
fringed; — perennial. Propagated from the seed. Should be 
sown as soon as ripened. There are many other beautiful 
species of Gentians, suitable for the border, highly esteemed in 
England, but hardly known here. 



GERARDIA. 

American Foxglove. 

Gerardia; in honor of John Gerarde, the old English 
botanist. 

Gerardia Jlava, and G. quercifolia, are beautiful native 
plants, with five large, bell-shaped, yellow flowers, but difficult 
to introduce into the flower-garden. Probably they would suc- 
ceed from seed, if planted in a shady place. 



GTLIA. 



Gilia coronopifolia, the Canlua coronopifolia of Willdenow. 
— The different names of Ipomopsis, Cantua and Ipomea, have 
given place to Gilia, amongst which genus, after minute exami- 
nation, this flower has been most properly classed. It was 



GLYCINE. 121 

first introduced into England about the year 1720, from 
seeds collected by Catesby, in the upper districts of Georgia 
and Carolina ; but as the seeds are seldom perfected in that 
climate, all traces of it have been lost, until very recently ; 
we do not think that its beauty will allow it to share this fate 
again, while the attention to horticulture remains in its present 
state. 

It is a biennial, of most elegant appearance, but is very sub- 
ject to damp off, and difficult to keep through the winter. 
Much protection is sure to kill the plants. It has generally 
been considered a tender plant, and treated as such. Having 
many fine plants, I distributed them in various exposures, in 
hopes to save some. About half of the whole number were in 
fine condition in the spring. The driest soil, in the shade of 
' a fence, seems to be the most favorable situation for them. 
' If the ground is inclining to moisture, there is but little 
j chance for them. So fine a plant as the Gilia deserves a place 
' in every garden. I should recommend, for experiment, to sow 
( the seed in August, as, perhaps, the small plants would endure 

the winter better than large ones. 
I The plant grows from four to five feet high. The foliage is 
I superb, similar to the Cypress vine, with numerous scarlet- 
J spotted flowers, that continue in bloom a number of months. 
* The plants may be potted and kept in the house, or green- 
, house, through the winter, and then planted out in the open 
i border. 



GLYCINE. 

Ground-nut. 

" Glycine, from glykys, sweet ; the leaves and root of one 
species are sweet. Glycine fruiescens, and especially Glyciiie 
sinensis, (now Wistaria conseque7ia,) are most beautiful hardy 
climbing shrubs, with long, pendulous branches of blue flowers, 
like the Laburnum." 
11 



122 breck's book of flowers. 

Ghjcine apios, or ground-nut, indigenous and common in rich, 
moist woods and thickets, produces flowers in axillary, crowded 
racemes, of a blackish purple, and makes a pleasing addition to 
the various ornaments of the border. Its roots are strings of 
oblong cylindric tubers, frequently known by the name of pig, 
or Indian, potatoes ; when roasted or boiled, they are eatable, 
having a flavor approaching the common potato, and said to 
have made an ordinary part of the vegetable food of the abo- 
rigines. The leaves are pinnated, each consisting of from five 
to seven ovate acuminate leaflets. Stems round, twining; 
from six to eight feet high ; flowering in July and August. 



GERANIUM. 

Geranium pratense. — It is said that "its flowers partake 
of a degree of delicacy by which it greatly surpasses in effect 
its more common blue congener. Its flowers vary much in the 
portion of color which they display, some being nearly all 
blue, whilst others are produced completely white." 

Geranium angidaium. — Angular-stalked-Crane's bill. — This 
species is a native of Europe, and has been cultivated since 
1789. A perennial, of easy culture, eighteen inches high, with 
a profusion of pink flowers in June. 

" The Geranium angulatum, from its numerous flowers, is 
highly ornamental. It may be appropriately planted among 
low shrubs, or strong herbaceous plants ; and it will succeed 
in rather shady places, which renders it oftentimes a desirable 
plant. Divisions of the roots afford sufficient increase." 



GLAUCIUM. 

Glaucium fulviim. — Horned Poppy. — It has an unlucky com- 
mon name, otherwise it would, perhaps, be more generally intro- 
duced into the garden than it appears to be, as it deserves a 



HEPATICA HESPERIS. 123 

place in every collection, not so much for its flowers, which are 
very pretty, but particularly for its " sea-green, dew-bespangled 
leaves," which are universally admired, and peculiar to the 
genus. The flowers are yellow or orange, and continue 
through the season. It is a biennial, a native of the south of 
Europe, 

" The whole plant abounds in a yellow juice." 
G. luleum with yellow, and G. phoBnicezim with red flowers, 
are annuals. 



HEPATICA. 

Early Anemone. ' 

Hepatica triloba. — Three-lobed. — This delicate little plant 
is one of the earliest visitors in spring, flowering in sunny spots 
before the snow has left the ground. The flowers are bluish- 
purple, and sometimes white. The leaves are heart-shaped at 
base, divided into three lobes. Found in open woods. It suc- 
ceeds well in a shady place in the garden. There are some 
lovely cultivated varieties, with double blue, red and white 
flowers, but they are rarely seen in collections of plants. 



HESPERIS. 

Garden Rocket. 

Hesperis viatroncdis. — Dame's Violet. — The single varieties 
of this fragrant flower are common in most gardens. It is a 
biennial or imperfect perennial, easily raised from seeds, pro- 
ducing flowers the second year, on long spikes, in May and 
June, of various shades, from pure white to purple ; three to four 
feet high. Fine varieties may be perpetuated by divisions of 
the root. Perfectly hardy. The double varieties of this flower 
are superb, and highly esteemed for their fragrance and beauty. 



124 breck's book of flowers. 

There is a purple and white variety, both very double, forming 
a spike about one foot high. It was known in Gerarde's time, 
and cultivated by him in 1597. He remarks, " By the indus- 
try of some of our florists, within these two or three years, hath 
bin brought unto our knowledge a very beautiful kind of these 
Dame violets, having very fair, double, white floures." These 
double varieties are very difficult to preserve, consequently 
rarely to be seen. 



HELIANTHUS. 
Sun-Flower. 

Helianthus, from Greek, signifying the sun and a flower. 
Nothing can be a more complete ideal representation of the 
sun, than the gigantic annual Sun-flower, with its golden rays. 
It is dedicated, with great propriety, to the sun ; but the idea, 
entertained by some, that the flowers are turned to the sun at 
all hours of the day, is erroneous. 

There are varieties of indigenous perennial Sun-flowers, that 
produce a profusion of yellow flowers in autumn ; which, being 
generally tall-growing plants, (from four to six feet high,) might 
be an additional ornament to extensive shrubberies. 

Heliayithus viultiflora. — Many-flowered. — The double vari- 
ety of this plant has large deep-yellow flowers, in August and 
September, of the size and form of the Dahlia. It has thick, 
fleshy roots, every piece of which will make a strong plant when 
planted in the spring. I have found it rather tender in moist 
ground, but in dry locations, with a little protection, it stands 
the winter; — flve to six feet high. 



HEMEROCALLIS. 

Day Lily. 

Hemerocallis, from the Greek words, signifying beautiful 
day-lily ; part of the tribe is now separated in the genus Funkia. 
It is an ornamental tribe, of the easiest cultivation. 



HIBISCUS. 125 

Hemerocallis flava, — Yellow Day Lily, — has a brilliant 
yellow lily-shaped flower in June ; two feet high ; leaves long- 
keeled, linear. 

H. fulva. — Copper-colored Day Lily. — An old inhabitant 
of the flower-garden ; in flower most of the season ; four feet 
high ; flower, yellowish copper-color ; leaves like the last, but 
much larger. 

H. cc£rulea, now, Fimkia ccervlea, — Blue Day Lily, — is a 
plant with broad ovate leaves ; flowers blue, in June and July ; 
two feet high. 

H. japonica, or Funkia japo7iica, — "White Day Lily, — has 
large, pure white, fragrant flowers, which open daily in the 
month of August, on stems one and a half to two feet high ; 
leaves broad ovate, nerved. 

These and other Day Lilies are hardy, easily propagated by 
division of the roots, and require little or no protection. 



HIBISCUS. 

Hibiscus is one of the Greek names for the Mallows. The 
species are for the most part showy, and easily cultivated ; the 
flower is Mallows or Hollyhock shaped. 

Hibiscus militarus. — Halbert-leaved Hibiscus. — This is a 
fine species ; growing six to eight feet high ; producing very 
large white flowers, with a deep-red centre. In August and 
September. 

H. palustris, — Marsh Hibiscus, — is found growing in some 
parts of New England, by the sides of streams ; it has large 
pink flowers. The height and habits are like the last. They 
are easily propagated from seeds or divisions of the root. They 
succeed in any good garden soil ; but flourish better in a moist 
low ground. It is well adapted for planting in the shrubbery. 
11# 



1.26 breck's book of flowers. 

HYPERICUM. 

St. Johii's-tvort. 

Of this plant there are several varieties growing wild, which 
are troublesome weeds. 

Hypericum ascyroides. — Giant Hypericum. — This is a tall 
plant, three or four feet high, with large yellow flowers with 
numerous stamens ; it prefers the shade of trees, which makes 
it a valuable ornament for shrubberies. 



IBERIS. 

Candy Tvft. 

There is but one species of perennial Candy Tuft generally 
known among us, and this is deserving a place in every garden, 
which is Iberis tenoreana. This plant is half shrubby at 
the base, with delicate linear foliage, and is covered with a 
profusion of its pure white flowers, in umbel-like corymbs, in 
June and July. The stems are rather decumbent and spread- 
ing; about six inches high. The plant is propagated by layers, 
or cuttings. It is not inclined to make itself too common, like 
some plants ; for, unless special pains are taken, it will not 
increase. 



IRIS. 

Fleur-de-lis. 

" The enamelled earth, that from her verdant breast 
Lavished spontaneously ambrosial flowers, 
The very sight of which can soothe to rest 

A thousand cares, and charm our sweetest hours." 

The bulbous-rooted species of this very extensive and orna- 
mental family have already been treated of. — See page 59. — 



IRIS. 



127 



The species and varieties of the Iris are almost without end ; 
most of them tuberous-rooted ; of easy culture and propagation, 
by division of the roots ; suitable for the border, most of them 
being hardy. I shall note such as have come under my 
observation. 

Iris picmila, — Dwarf Iris, — is from three to six inches 
high, with rich purple flowers, early in May. 

/. cristata, — Crested Iris, — is another dwarf variety, of 
the same height of the last, with elegant, variegated, light-blue, 
crested flowers, in May ; with creeping roots ; a very desirable 
species. 

J. Jlorentina, — Florentine Iris, — has large white flowers, 
in May and June ; two feet high. 

/. gervianica, — German Iris, — is the common Fleur-de- 
lis of the gardens well known to all. Flowers large, blue and 
purple ; two feet high ; May and June ; similar to the last in 
size and habits. 

J. pallida. — Pale Turkey Iris. — A very fine species, with 
straw-colored flowers, veined with brown. One and a half 
foot high ; in June. The stems are many-flowered, and stand 
above the leaves. 

I. variegata, — Variegated Iris, — is a very delicate and 
elegant species. The flowers bluish-white, elegantly feathered 
with blue ; in June ; stem many-flowered, two feet high. 

I. samluciaiia. — Elder-scented Iris. — A very beautiful 
species, with brilliant, pale-blue, variegated flowers, on stems, 
many-flowered, four feet high, standing above the foliage, 
which is long and narrow, or more grass-like than the common 
sorts. The roots of it are of a more fibrous character than 
most of the family, and mat together so hard that they are 
with diflrculty separated. A clump of this, with its numerous 
rich flowers rising above their graceful foliage, makes as much 
show as any other plant of its season. The last of June. 

/. pscud-acorus, — The Yellow-water Iris of England, — has 
handsome yellow flowers, the last of June, three feet high. 

/. ccelestina. — Sky-blue Iris. — This is a magnificent plant, 



128 breck's book of flowers. 

with long, broad leaves, and very large, light-blue flowers, on 
stems three feet high. 

I. versicolor. — Blue Flag. — This is a fine indigenous 
species, a showy ornament of our meadows in the early part of 
summer. It succeeds well in the garden. 

I. gracilis is another native species, but not very common. 
It has grass-like foliage, Avith stems one foot high, with a num- 
ber of small purple flowers, veined with yellow ; very pretty. 

There are many other fine Iris in cultivation, with which 
there has been such a hocus-pocus game played by the florist, 
that it is impossible to tell their origin. I have a number of 
varieties of this kind : one, a dwarf j^ellow, one foot high ; 
another, of the same height, upper petals yellow, lower ones 
rich brown ; one ash color, shaded with blue ; one rich dark- 
purple ; and a yellow flower, with variegated leaves. There 
are, also, varieties innumerable, with every mixture of yellow, 
blue, brown, purple, and white in their coloring. 



LATHYRUS. 
Everlasting Pea. 

LatJiyrus latifolius, or Everlasting Pea, is a most beautiful, 
large, diffuse perennial, producing a long succession of large 
light-purple or pink flowers, in clusters of eight or ten each. 
The plant is suitable for the shrubbery, arbors, or for training 
to a trellis. When supported, it attains the height of six feet. 
" It attaches and supports itself, like all scandent plants, by 
means of the branching tendrils terminating its single pair of 
broad leaflets, and which twining, economical processes are, in 
fact, reasoning from strict analogy, the abortive rudiments of 
other sets of leaves, though never developed." 

A variety has white flowers. It may be propagated by 
dividing the roots, or more extensively by sowing the seeds, 



LAMIUM — LOBELIA, 129 

which ought to be planted where the plant is to stand, as it 
sends down a tap root to a great depth. 

Young plants will flower, the second year, feebly, but the 
third or fourth year they produce a profusion of foliage and 
flowers. Some botanists have suggested that it might be 
applied to agricultural purposes with profit, on account of its 
yielding so great a quantity of fodder and seed. 

Lathyrus gra?idiflorus. — Great-flowered Everlasting Pea. 
— The flowers are very large, rose -colored, and appear two or 
three together ; the foliage and stems light and elegant. Not 
in common cultivation. 



LAMIUM. 

Lamia was a celebrated sea-monster. The flowers of this 
genus have a considerable resemblance to the grotesque figure 
of some beast. Most of the species are ugly weeds. 

Lamium rugosom, or Rough-leaved Lamium, produces clus- 
ters of its curious white flowers all the season, and is suitable 
for rock-work. The odor of the plant is rather unpleasant. 



LOBELIA. 

Cardinal Flower. 

The generic name is in honor of M. Lobel, physician and 
botanist to James I. The genus is very large, containing more 
than eighty species. The predominant color is blue. Many of 
the family are very ornamental. The most desirable for the 
border, that are much known, are L. cardinaZis, siphilitica, ful- 
gefis, splendens, and speciosa. The two first will stand the winter 
very well, with some protection ; but the last three must be 
potted in the fall, and kept in a frame, or in the cellar, and 
planted out in the spring. 

Lobelia cardinalis. — Scarlet Cardinal Flower. — This 



130 breck's book of flowers. 

splendid native plant embellishes the borders of our brooks and 
rivulets, in the months of July and August, with its unrivalled 
scarlet blossoms. It is a mistaken notion that it will flour- 
ish only in wet ground. I have taken it up, when grow- 
ing in water, and planted it in a soil that was far from being 
moist, with good success. It was introduced into England in 
1629, and, to this .day, is duly appreciated. Justice, who pub- 
lished a work on gardening, in ] 754, in describing it, says : — 
" It is a flower of most handsome appearance, which should not 
be wanting in curious gardens, as it excels all other flowers 
I ever knew in the richness of its color." It has an erect 
stem, two to three feet high, with broad lanceolate, serrate 
leaves; flowers in terminal spikes, pointing one way. The 
roots of all the species are composed of many white fleshy 
fibres. 

L. fidgens, — the Fulgent Cardinal Flower, — is a native of 
Mexico, and was introduced into England in 1S09. Leaves 
narrow lanceolate, toothed, revolute at the edge ; stem pubes- 
cent, (downy,) three feet high ; its bright scarlet flowers in 
terminal racemes. 

L. splendeiis, — the Splendid Cardinal Flower, — is also a 
native of Mexico, introduced into England in 1814. Leaves 
narrow lanceolate ; stem quite smooth, three feet-high ; flowers 
brilliant scarlet, in terminal racemes. 

L. injlata, or Bladder-podded Lobelia, is probably familiar 
with every one, at least its name. Its virtues are so highly 
prized by some, that we are almost led to suppose that it is a 
sovereign remedy for all diseases that flesh and blood are heir 
to. The plant is an annual, of not much interest, with small 
blue flowers, and inflated pods or seed-vessels, common in dry 
pastures and road sides. The whole plant is a violent emetic. 
It is not used often by regular practitioners. 

L. speciosa, — the Showy Cardinal Flower, — " is a new and 
very late introduced variety. It was found growing among the 
other varieties, in a flovirer border in Scotland, and is supposed 
to be a hybrid between siphilitica, and either fvlgens or cardi- 



LOBELIA. 131 

nalis. Its rich purple blossoms form a fine contrast with the 
bright scarlet ones of the other varieties," The leaves like fid' 
gens ; stem also pubescent. 

L. siphilitka, — the Blue Cardinal Flower, — is a native of 
Virginia, and introduced into England in 1665. "It has its 
specific name from its supposed efficacy in the cure of the 
syphilis, among the North American Indians. Sir William 
Johnson purchased the secret from them, but Woodville says its 
virtues have not been confirmed by any instance of European 
practice." Stem erect, two feet high ; raceme leafy, with 
flowers of a bright sky-blue. 

The treatment is the same for all those enumerated. I once 
had them in great perfection, having a soil and situation well 
adapted to their growth, with a little preparation. The soil, 
naturally, was a black, heavy loam, upon a clay and gravel 
subsoil, a little springy, and never very dry. On the spots 
designed for their location, I threw four or five shovelfuls of 
river-sand, and two of partly decomposed night-soil compost, 
and had it thoroughly incorporated with the soil, for two feet 
round, which made it quite light, and placed the plants in the 
centre. They began to flower in July, and continued to throw 
up vigorous stems, with an abundance of flowers, until October. 
Their growth was so luxuriant, that it was necessary to tie them 
up to slender rods, stuck into the ground, a number of times, to 
prevent them from being broken by the wind. Cardinalis and 
fulgens were more than three feet high ; the others between 
two and three feet. They may be easily propagated, by laying 
the stems in July and August, or dividing the roots in the 
spring, or by seed. 

" Van Mons observes, that L. cardinalis perishes in sandy 
soil, but becomes strong and multiplies in loam, while, at 
the same time, it produces the most brilliant colors in the 
former. 

" The same thing may doubtless be predicted of the other 
species, it being a well-known law of nature, as to living 



132 beeck's book of floweks, 

beings, that their energies are concentrated in proportion to tlie 
obstacles thrown in the way of their expansion." 

L. spicata. — Synom. pallida. — A beautiful indigenous spe- 
cies, common in most pastures and by the road sides, with 
lively pale-blue flowers, in long terminal spikes, in July 
Stem upright, smooth, a little hairy, one and a half foot high. 
1 have never seen this species cultivated, but have no doubt 
but what it would be very much improved, and prove a valu- 
able acquisition to the border. 

I have succeeded with Lobelia cardinalis, in rather a dry, 
loamy soil, without much care ; but, to have it in its greatest 
perfection, it should have a moist location. 



LUNARIA. 

Honesty. 

Lunaria biennis. — Honesty is an old-fashioned plant, flow- 
ering the second year from seed, and then dying. It produces 
large purple flowers, in May and June, that are succeeded by 
large elliptical pods, which, when dry, are rather ornamental. 
Lunaria is from luna, the moon, in allusion to the broad, round, 
silvery pods or silicles. 



LUPIN. 

Most of the species are ornamental plants, suitable for the 
garden ; some annual, but mostly perennials. 

Lupinus perennis is a well-known species, indigenous to 
many parts of New England, found, frequently, in large masses, 
from a yard to two rods in circumference, occupying the \er\ 
poorest sandy or gravelly arid soil ; frequently in company 
with the pretty Silene Pe7insylvanica, or Wild Pink, and more 



LUPIN. 133 

commonly with Viola pedata, or Bird's-foot Violet, all of which 
are in bloom about the first of June. It is very difficult, or 
even impossible, to transplant, with success, this fine perennial. 
The only sure way to propagate it is by seed, which should be 
gathered before it is entirely ripe, as it is scattered, as soon as 
mature, by the sudden bursting of the pod, by which the seed 
is thrown to a considerable distance. Nor will it succeed on 
rich ground ; but whenever the seeds are to be sown, the soil 
should, in the first place, be removed, or a greater part of it, 
from a circle whose diameter is three or four ieet, and the hole 
be filled up with a poor, gravelly or sandy soil, and the seed 
sown in the centre. 

The flowers are found, in the wild state, of various colors 
and shades, from pure white (which is rare) through all the 
shades of light to dark-blue, inclining to purple ; the margin of 
the flowers is frequently copper color, sometimes inclining to 
red. One variety has flowers of a dull pink. Stem erect, 
hairy. The digitate leaves are composed of about eight or ten 
leaflets, which are lanceolate, wedge-shaped, arranged like rays 
around the end of the petiole ; hairy and pale underneath. 

Many beautiful Lupins have, within a few years, been added 
to the list of herbaceous plants, chiefly through the exertions 
of Mr. Douglas, in his excursions in North and South America, 
most of which were found on the North-west coast, from Cali- 
fornia to the Columbia river, which part of the world seems to 
be the central position, or head quarters, of this genus of plants, 
more being found there than in all ithe world besides, 

Lupinus polyphyllus, — Many-leaved Lupin, — is a splendid 
plant, from the north-west coast of North America. The fol- 
lowing account, which I gave of it fifteen years ago, is as 
good as new : — 

" I received seed of this fine Lupin, a few years since, only 
one of which vegetated. It produced radical leaves, only, the 
first year, which were multifoliated, and borne on long petioles. 
The second year, it was transplanted, with much care, into rich 
soil, having been exposed, through the winter, to all the rigors 
12 



134 breck's book of flowers. 

of the season, without protection. In the month of May the 
flower-stalks began to be developed, and produced, in June, 
spikes of flowers, which were two feet in length, and from three 
to four feet in height from the ground. The flowers are dis- 
posed in long terminal clusters, of a beautiful azure blue, with a 
reddish border, forming a kind of whorls, very near each other, 
round the stem. The leaves are composed of from twelve to 
fifteen green, lanceolate leaflets, hairy on the under side. The 
flowers resemble those of blue Sophora, {Baptisa australis,) but 
far more elegant. The third year it flowered abundantly, 
throwing up numerous flower-stems, so luxurious that many 
were broken by the wind before they were secured by sticks. 
The third year the roots should be divided, as they become 
large in rich ground ; the central part first decays, and finally 
the whole root perishes, unless this operation is performed. 
There is also a white variety," 

There is also a number of other species, among which are L. 
grandiflora, and other fine sorts. They are best propagated 
by seeds ; but, with care, some of the sorts may be increased 
by divisions of the roots. 



LYCHNIS. 

Lychnis chalcedonica. — Scarlet Lychnis, — This is common 
in most gardens, under the name of London Pride, It is an 
esteemed border flower, of easy cultivation. The flowers are 
brilliant scarlet, which make it more valuable, as comparatively 
few flowers of that color are to be found among hardy herba- 
ceous plants. One of the most splendid decorations of the bor- 
der is the Double Scarlet Lychnis. It is propagated only by 
divisions of the root, or cuttings of the flower-stem ; the single 
variety is raised freely from seed. The cuttings are taken off 
at any time when the shoots are tender, and planted in a sandy 
loam, in a warm situation, but covered with a hand-glass and 
shaded from the sun. When well-established, they may be 
transplanted into the bed or border where they are to remain, 



LYSAMACHIA. 135 

and will flower strongly the next year. There is also a single 
and double white variety. All the varieties do best in a light, 
rich, loamy soil. It is necessary to take up and divide the 
roots every other year. The best time to do this is early in 
the spring. A light protection is necessary to the double vari- 
eties, to insure a vigorous bloom. The flowers are fascicled, 
(collected in bundles,) level-top or convex ; two feet high ; in 
June and July. The double varieties continue to give flowers 
until autumn. 

L. fulgens, — splendid, — is a hardy species from Siberia, 
with scarlet flowers ; one foot and a half high ; not common 
with us, 

L. coronata is a showy species from China. The flowers 
are large, solitary, terminal, and axillary, red, the petals torn; 
one foot and a half high. Unfortunately, this beautiful plant 
will not stand our winter in open ground ; it therefore requires 
to be taken up and potted in autumn, and protected in the 
house or frame. It thrives and flowers abundantly most of the 
season, if planted out in the spring. It may be raised from 
seeds or cuttings. 

L. Jloscuculi. — Eagged Robin. — This is an old inhabitant 
of the flower-garden, a native of Britain. The double variety 
is deservedly esteemed, is very ornamental, easy to cultivate, 
and flourishes in any common garden soil. It is propagated 
by divisions of the root. Flowers fine deep pink. 

L. viscaria, with pink ; L. diurna, with purple ; and L. 
vespertina, with white flowers, all natives of Britain, are hand- 
some border flowers in their double varieties. 

L. viscaria plena is a fine border flower, and very hardy ; one 
foot high in June. 



LYSAMACHIA, 

Loose Strife. 

Most of the species are bog plants, of the easiest culture. 
L. mummularia, — Moneywort, — is an ornamental, creep- 



136 breck's book of flowers. 

ino- perennial, with yellow flowers all the season, suitable for 
rock-work, or hanging from a pot in a northern exposure ; a 
number of the indigenous species are worth cultivating. 



LYTHRUM. 
Willow Herb. 

Lythrum, from the Greek, black blood ; in allusion to the 
color of the flowers. 

L. salicaria is a native British perennial, and is considered a 
handsome border flower ; three or four feet high, with purple 
flowers in July and August ; leaves opposite, cordate, lanceo- 
late ; flowers in spikes. 



MALVA. 

Mallows. 

Some of the species are showy plants. All the species 
are of the easiest cultivation. 

M. alcea. — A pretty, hardy perennial, from Germany, with 
purple flowers from July to October ; three feet high ; easily 
propagated by seed or divisions of the roots. 

Varieties of the same, with pink and white flowers ; lower 
leaves angular; upper, five-parted, cut; stems and calyxes 
velvety. 



MONARDA. 

Tall Balm. 

Monarda, in honor of Nicholas Monardez, a physician 
of Seville in the 16th century. Most of the species are aro- 
matic, and resemble mint in their habits and mode of cul- 
ture. 



(ENOTHERA ORCHIS. 137 

M. didyma. — Oswego Tea. — A perennial, native of North 
America, as are all the species ; an ornamental plant, three 
feet high, with very brilliant scarlet flowers from June to Au- 
gust. 

The leaves are sometimes used as a substitute for tea, and 
known by the name of crimson balm, or bergamot. 

M. fistula has light purple flowers, not so handsome as the 
last. There are also other species which, in a large collec- 
tion, would be interesting. 



(ENOTHERA. 

Evenii g Primrose. 

A number of the family are hardy perennial border plants. 
The flowers of most of the species expand in the evening. 

O. macrocarpa. — This showy species has large, fleshy 
roots, which throw out decumbent stems, producing in succes- 
sion, through the summer, numerous large yellow flowers, four 
or five inches in diameter. 

O. speciosa has creeping roots, with stems one and a half 
foot high, with large white flowers, from June to September. 

O. fruticosa has rather shrubby stems two feet high, with 
dark yellow flowers in July and August. 

O. fraseri is one and a half foot high, with yellow flowers, 
from June to October. 

O. taraziciflora is a magnificent perennial, not very common, 
with large white flowers. All the species succeed well in any 
common garden soil, and easily propagated from divisions of 
the root, and from seed when it can be obtained. 



ORCHIS. 

This is a beautiful and very curious genus of plants, of 
which we have a number of native species, growing mostly in 
swampy places. They will not succeed well in the garden, 
\2* 



138 breck's book of flowers. 

unless they can have a moist, shady place, with a soil similar 
to that from which they were taken. The flowers are produced 
on leafless stems in spikes, from one to two feet high, in July 
and August. Some have pink, and others white, finely- 
fringed flowers. 



II 



OROBUS. 

Bitter Vetch. 



Orohus niger is a hardy perennial, with which we have been 
acquainted for a number of years, and can recommend it as 
being pretty, with very dark purpk; flowers, which are produced 
in June and July ; two or three feet high ; stem branched ; 
leaves in six pairs, ovate oblong; racemes one-sided, many- 
flowered. 

O. atropurpureus. — The flowers are a fine purple, in a 
dense, one-sided, many-flowered raceme. In the gardens it is 
a hardy perennial, flowering in May. 

O. luteus is considered by some as the handsomest of the 
papilionaceous tribe. 



PAPAVER. 

Poppy. 

Papaver orientalis. — Oriental Poppy. — This is a most mag- 
nificent perennial, worth all the rest of the Poppy tribe. Its 
large, gorgeous, orange scarlet flowers, display themselves in 
the month of June. The bottoms of the petals are black ; the 
stigma is surrounded by a multitude of rich purple stamens, 
the anthers of which shed a profusion of pollen, which pow- 
ders over the stigma and the internal part of the flower, giving 
it a very rich appearance. 

The flower-stems are rough, three feet high, each one bearing 
a single solitary flower, five or six inches in diameter. A clump, 
with twenty or thirty of these flowers, makes one of the most 



PENTSTEMON. 139 

conspicuous and showy ornaments of the garden. Leaves are 
scabrous, (rough,) pinnate, serrate. Propagated by dividing the 
roots, which should be done as soon as the foliage has died 
down in August, as it commences growing again in September, 
and throws up leaves which remain during winter, it being one 
of the most hardy plants. If deferred until spring, if it flowers 
at all, it will be weak. It may also *be propagated from seed, 
but does not commonly flower until the third year. A native 
of Levant. 

Papaver bracteatum, — Bracted Poppy, — is another superb 
perennial, very much like the last, a native of Siberia. The 
flowers are a deeper red, and the only essential difference is in 
the leafy bractes by which the flowers are subtended. Propa- 
gated in the same way ; with us, it has not flowered so freely. 

'■'■Fapaver cambricum is admired for its yellow petals." It 
is now called Mecoriopsis cambrica; not common with us. 
There are also a number of other species and varieties of peren- 
nial poppy, as P. nudicaule, with two or three varieties with 
yellow, and one with scarlet flowers, from Siberia, one foot 
to one and a half high. P. p-granaicum, from the Pyrenees, 
wath yellow flowers, and a variety with red, one foot high. 
P. alpinum, from Austria, has white flowers three quarters of 
a foot hisfh. 



PENTSTEMON. 

The genus Pentstemon embraces a family of beautiful plants, 
worthy the attention of the amateur. Most of the species are 
hardy, while others require the protection of the frame during 
the winter. The genus is peculiarly American, abounding in 
the west and south-west of our vast country, and Mexico. The 
flowers of all the species are bell-shaped, more or less open. 
The colors are scarlet, purple, blue, &c. 

The following species have flowered in our collection : — 



140 breck's book of flowers. 

p. pubescens produces purplish blue flowers in June ; one 
and a half foot high ; leaves downy. 

P. IcBvigatum is very similar, excepting it has smooth leaves 
and paler flowers ; two feet high. 

P. pulchella has large, bell-shaped, pale-purple flowers in 
autumn ; one foot high. 

P. atropurpurea has dark ruby-purple flowers from July to 
October ; one and a half foot high. 

P. cairuleum is one of the finest of the genus, with beauti- 
ful blue flowers in August and September ; one and a half foot 
high. 

P. coccinnea is similar to P. atropurpurea, excepting the 
flowers are scarlet. 

All the species may be propagated by dividing the roots, if 
done with care ; or by cuttings, the most certain method ; or 
by layers. They may also be raised from seed, which should 
be sown in May, in the open ground, in a moist, shady place. 
There are numerous varieties and species, besides those here 
named. 



PHLOX. 

" Your voiceless lips, O flowers, are living preachers, — 
Each cup a pulpit, and each leaf a book, 
Supplying to my fancy numerous teachers, 
From lowliest nook ! " 

It has been truly said that a collection of Phloxes, when 
properly attended to, would of themselves constitute a beautiful 
flower-garden. So numerous are the species, and so infinite the 
varieties, that a continual bloom may be kept up, with a good 
selection, from May to October. The genus is exclusively 
North American, and, in the South and West, is one of the 
most conspicuous ornaments of the prairies and woods. 

The late-flowering sorts are much to be prized on account of 
their lively colors of purple, red and white, and form a fine con- 
trast with the other autumnal flowers, which are mostly yellow. 



PHLOX. 141 

The vernal ones, too, are acceptable, though humble in growth, 
and delight the eye with their brilliancy and loveliness. The 
summer varieties embrace some of the most beautiful sorts ; 
they being intermediate in height, more delicate in foliage, and 
include most of the fine new eyed, striped or shaded varieties. 
They flower the second time if cut down immediately after 
flowering, in July. 

While many herbaceous plants require protection in winter, 
none of those I am about to describe need it, with the exception 
of the dwarf species, which are evergreen ; the flower-buds are 
formed in autumn, and should be slightly protected, or rather 
shaded. It is not so much the cold as the powerful March sun 
which does the damage ; all that is necessary, in most cases, of 
protection, is to prevent the action of the sun upon the plant 
when in a frozen state. Most of the species delight in a moist, 
rich soil, but succeed tolerably well in almost any situation, 
provided that it is not very light and dry. No plant is more 
easily propagated. It is done generally by dividing the roots 
immediately after the bloom is over, for the early-flowering 
sorts, and in the spring for the late ones. They may also be 
raised easily from cuttings, and from seed. 

CLASS 1. EARLY VARIETIES FLOWERING- IN MAY. 

Phlox suhulata. — Moss Pink. — The leaf is subulate or awl- 
shaped ; that is, narrow at the base, and becoming more or less 
curved to one side at the point. This pretty species displays 
its showy pink flowers the last of April, and in such profusion 
as to conceal its yellowish-green foliage, and continues in bloom 
for nearly a month, and is companion with the two following, 
and, like them, from four to six inches high. It is known by 
the common name of Moss Pink. It can be so rapidly increased 
that it may be used to advantage for edgings, but requires some 
care to keep it in order. 

There are many improved varieties of this species, viz., 
white, purple, large pink, lilac with a red eye, &c. 



142 breck's book of flowers. 

Fhloz stolonifera. — Creeping. — The plant puts forth suck- 
ers or shoots near the surface of the earth, which take root, 
something after the manner of the strawberry. Leaves ovate, 
(egg-shaped,) brownish-green ; stem erect, bearing a few large 
deep-red flowers, which begin to expand a few days later than 
the preceding. A very lovely species and worthy of cultiva* 
tion. 

Phlox nivalis. — Snow-white. — The flowers are brilliant 
snowy white, marked with orange in the centre, on the end of 
the branches, in bunches from three to five, and naake their 
appearance from the tenth to the middle of May, and continue 
until the first of June. If the autumn is mild, it will produce 
a second crop, but not in such profusion. Leaves setaceous, 
(bristly,) shining deep-green. This is the most tender, and is 
generally more or less injured without a little protection, and it 
is undoubtedly one of the most elegant of the family : not 
common ; now lost from my collection. 

Phlox divaricata. — Branches divaricate ; that is, spread out 
so far from the stem, as to form more than a right angle with 
it above. This beautiful species flowers the last of May, very 
large, pale-blue, on lax decumbent stems, one foot high. Leaves 
ovate lanceolate, (egg-shaped at the base, tapering off at the 
point like the ancient lance.) This may be considered one of 
the finest, but has not been so extensively disseminated as some 
of the tribe. 

There is a white, and other varieties of this Phlox. 

CLASS II. FLOWERING IN JUNE AND JULY. 

In describing this numerous and very ornamental branch of 
the family, it will be necessary to cut loose from all botanical 
distinctions, for the species have undergone such a transforma- 
tion by hybridizing, that it will puzzle a botanist to trace their 
parentage. 

The two following are no doubt the parents, on one side, of 
many of the improved sorts, as the habits and style, in many 
respects, correspond. 



PHLOX. 143 

FMox maculata. — The stem is dotted with dark spots, from 
which circumstance it receives its generic name, maculata, 
(spotted.) It is one of the most common sorts, and found orna- 
menting almost every garden ; frequently known under the 
name of Flora's bouquet. The flowers are so pretty, one might 
readily imagine the fair goddess would not be indifferent to their 
charms. It begins to show its purplish-red flowers the last of 
May, which are crowded on an oblong spike, and continues 
long in bloom; if cut down immediately after flowering, a 
second display may be expected in August or September. 
Stems rough ; two feet high. 

Phlox suaveolens. — Sweet-scented. — It has white, sweet- 
scented flowers, arranged in the same manner as the last ; stem 
without spots. Leaves ovate lanceolate, quite smooth. The 
height and time of flowering the same as P. maculata, and by 
some considered as only a variety of it. It is one of the most 
delicate of the species, and, when grown with the last described, 
makes a fine appearance. 

Some of the florist's varieties partake of the character of the 
two following : — 

Phlox carnea. — Flesh-colored. — This delicate species com- 
mences flowering the middle of June. After its first display it 
continues to flower sparingly through the summer and autumn. 
Leaves ciliated, (eyelash-haired,) lowest setaceous, upper one 
linear lanceolate, (narrow lance-shape.) Branches from three to 
five-flowered. 

Phlox Listonia. — In honor of Lady Listen. — A beautiful 
species, with fine red flowers, in June ; a foot and a half high. 
Foliage broader than in most species; radical leaves rhom- 
boidal ; upper ones ovate lanceolate. 

Some of the most improved early summer varieties are the 
following : — 

Phlox Van Houtteii is a superb variety, with a flne round 
corolla, each segment being regularly and distinctly striped 
with purplish-red, on white ground. Height, one and a half 
foot. In flower the last of June. 



144 breck's book of flowers. 

P. incia. — White with red eye. One and a half foot high, 

— last of June and July. 

Phlox ceil de lynx, — Lynx-eyed, — is a beautiful dwarf vari- 
ety, one foot high, with white flowers and large deep-red eye ; 
rather delicate in its habits. 

Phlox Egyptienne. — This has light lilac flowers shaded with 
purple, about one and a half foot high, in June and July. 

Phlox jleur -de-Marie. — Has fine white flowers, with a dark- 
red eye ; very showy. 

Phlox almerine. — Flowers blush, with a small red eye. 

Phlox keermisina alha. — Flowers white, with purple eye, 
arranged in loose pyramidal panicles of great beauty ; in July 

— two feet high. 

Phlox vieechantea speciosa. — Corolla white, beautifully tinted 
with rose. Three feet high in July. 

CLASS III. FLOWERING THE LAST OF JITLY, AUGUST AND SEP- 
TEMBER. 

Most of the Phloxes under this head are tall-growing sorts, 
from three to four feet high, with their flowers in graceful py- 
ramidal corymbs. 

Phlox pyramidalis alha, and purpurea, P. acuminata, P. 
panicidata, and other old sorts, now discarded, were proba- 
bly the parents of the new varieties in this class, of which, 
Phlox Breckii, raised by the writer, is considered one of the 
very best late-flowering sorts cultivated. The flowers are pro- 
duced in August and September, on stems four to six feet 
high, on long pyramidal dense spikes. The corolla circular, 
light-purple, with a white eye. The foliage, graceful, lance- 
olate acuminate spatulate ; the upper leaves verj-- much undu- 
lated. 

Phlox Charles. — A new white variety, with pink eye ; flow- 
ers in pyramidal corymbs; one and a half to two feet high in 
July and August. 

Phlox Wilderii. — A fine seedling, with deep-red flowers, 



PHLOX. 145 

raised by the writer ; corolla round and perfect ; Stem branched ; 
three feet high in August. 

Fhlox Mary Ann. — A superb new variety, with striped 
flowers ; corolla five-shape ; the centre part of each segment is 
of a clear pale-purple, while the margins are pure white ; in 
dense flattish corymbs ; in July and August ; one and a half 
foot high. 

Phlox panicuiata alba. — A fine variety, with pure white 
flowers, arranged in pyramidal panicles; three feet high; in 
August. 

Phlox nymphea alba. — A fine variety, with white flowers, 
tinted with purple ; tube of the corolla purple ; flowers ar- 
ranged in dense spherical corj-mbs : three feet high ; in July 
and August. 

Phlox cordata grandijlora. — Corolla large, fine round 
shape, purplish-pink, with white centre, in large flattish, dense, 
terminal panicles ; four to five feet high ; in August. 

Phlox decussata alba. — A fine white variety, with perfect 
flowers in regular compact pyramidal corymbs ; three feet high ; 
in August. 

Phlox Lawre?icu is a variety with white flowers ; a seedling 
raised by W. E. Carter, late of the Botanic Garden, Cam- 
bridge ; three to four feet high ; in August. 

Mr. Carter has raised a number of fine seedlings, flowering 
in August, viz. : — Phlox Frelmghuysen, with variegated flow- 
ers ; and Phlox Henry Clay, with white flowers, finely penciled 
with purple ; each about two to three feet high. 

Phlox rosea svjperba is a variety with brilliant rose-colored 
flowers. 

Phlox undulata. — The margin of the leaves slightly undu- 
lated ; lance oblong ; stem erect, smooth, three feet high ; the 
latest species flowers in September, and retains its beauty 
long after the commencement of frosts, and lingers to the con- 
fines of winter ; red ; many of the flowers turn white, which 
gives its panicled corj^mbs or heads a variegated appearance. 
13 



146 breck's book of flowers. 

To these might be added numerous other fine varieties, as 
they are without number. 

RAISING PHLOXES FROM SEED. 

Some fine seedlings have appeared in my own garden wdthin 
the two last years, which have attracted considerable attention 
at the Horticultural Rooms, on account of the largeness and 
perfection of the flowers, the density of the spikes or corymbs, 
and the colors. The last season, the first premium for the best 
ten varieties was awarded to the writer ; six of these were his 
own seedlings, which competed with a number of stands, most- 
ly of foreign origin, and that, too, of improved sorts. 

Out of a large number, I have selected and numbered twenty 
varieties, which I thought worthy of perpetuating, for their su- 
periority for breeders. It is a fact, that seedlings are sure to 
produce an abundance of seeds, while those varieties that have 
long been propagated by cuttings or divisions of the root, soon 
lose that power. It has proved, in my experience, that there 
is an improvement in every generation of well selected seed- 
lings. I have been accustomed to collect all the seedling 
phloxes raised by my floral friends, and plant them in beds by 
themselves : thus, I had three or four frorii my friend, S. Walk- 
er, Esq., President of the Horticultural Society, some of Mr. 
Richardson, of Dorchester, others from my old acquaintance, 
W. E. Carter, late of the Botanic Garden, and a large number 
of my own. From these the seed was scattered promiscuous- 
ly, and the young plants were taken up and planted by them- 
selves, and from a great number of young seedlings my selec- 
tions were made. Among these are some white, some fine red, 
two or three variegated ; one mottled, with a red eye; and an- 
other distinctly and regularly striped with a - pale-purple on 
white ground. Their parents being of the later sorts, these, 
also, correspond in the time of flowering with them, being in 
perfection about the first of August. I am looking for great 
improvements in the next brood of seedlings from these new 
sorts, and think I shall not be disappointed. 



POLEMONIUM — POTENTILLA . 1 47 

POLEMONIUM. 

Jacob's Ladder. 

Pole?7ioniu7)i c<2ruleiim. — Blue-flowered. — This is one of the 
old standard border flowers, and is known by the common name 
of Jacob's Ladder, from its beautiful pinnately-cleft leaves, 
(leaflets arranged on each side of a common, petiole or leaf- 
stem ;) its lively blue flowers, nodding, on the ends of the 
branches. There is another variety with white flowers. Each 
variety is worthy of a place in the flower department, being per- 
fectly hardy and of the most easy cultivation ; flowers in June ; 

two feet high. 

— * — 

POTENTILLA. 

Potentilla, in allusion to its supposed potential virtue in 
medicine. 

This is a numerous genus, consisting of strawberrj^-like look- 
ing plants, with mostly yellow flowers. 

Potentilla atrosanguinea. — Dark blood-colored Potentilla. 
— This is one of the finest species, with beautiful foliage, and 
blood-colored flowers, from Nepal, one and a half foot high ; 
in flower from May to September. Propagated from divisions 
of the root, and from seed. 

Pontentilla formosa. — Synon. Nepalensis. — This is an- 
other beautiful species from Nepal, with fine rose-colored flow- 
ers, which are produced the greater part of the season. 

Pontentilla splendens has yellow flowers, of not much beauty, 
but the leaves are elegant, being silvered over with a silky 
down, and interruptedly pinnate. Flowers dichotomous, in 
corymbs ; from Nepal. 

Pontentilla grandijiora has fine large yellow flowers — a 
native of Siberia. 

Pontentilla russelliana is a splendid hybrid with scarlet 
flowers. 



148 breck's book of flowers. 

P. Hopwoodia7ia, with rose and scarlet flowers, is also beau- 
tiful. Most of the species, which are numerous, are pretty, but 
those named are the finest ; all stand the winter well ; they 
succeed best in light soil. 



PRIMULA. 

Primrose. 

This genus consists of beautiful dwarf Alpine plants, of 
many species, which sport into elegant varieties, under the 
cultivation of the florist. They are valuable on account of 
their early appearance in the spring ; some of them succeeding 
the Snowdrop, others keeping company with the vernal Phloxes 
and other early flowers. 

The Primula auricula is a florist flower of great beauty, but 
has received but little attention in this country ; probably on 
account of the severity of our Avinter and spring months, cr 
the great heat of summer, which is more destructive to the 
auricula than the cold. The extremes of heat and cold ren- 
der its cultivation difficult. The flower-stalk springs from 
radical leaves, six or eight inches high, bearing a truss of from 
fi/e to seven flowers, which are of various rich colors, accord- 
ing to the variety. These flowers are called pips, which 
should be round, with a light-colored eye ; the ground color, 
when very dark blue, purple, or brown, edged with green, con- 
trast finely with the eye, and are considered richer than those 
varieties where the colors are lighter. 

Prhnula polyanthus. — This is more hardy than the auricula, 
and succeeds well with little care, provided it can have a cool 
and sheltered spot, a rich and rather moist soil. They are 
in flower all the month of May, and some of the varieties by 
the middle of April. The flowers are produced on stems, 
eight to twelve inches high, in trusses of eight or ten flowers, 
or pips, and are of various rich colors. Brown, with yellow 
eye, is very common, with a delicate edging of yellow ; also 



PULMONARU. 149 

various combinations of crimson, yellow, sulphur, and dark- 
brown, either plain or shaded. It is easily propagated by 
dividing the roots after blooming. 

Primula veris, — Cowslip, — is a native of Great Britain. 
The flowers are produced in trusses, but are not so elegant 
as those of the polyanthus, but look pretty in the border. The 
flowers generally are of a pale-yellow, but there is a variety 
with red flowers ; they are propagated the same as the poly- 
anthus. There are many other pretty species and varieties, 
some with double flowers. All may be introduced into the 
garden, in cool, shady locations. 



PULMONARIA. 
Lungwort. 

Fuhnonaria derives its name, some say, from the speckled 
appearance of the leaves, resembling diseased lungs ; but others 
think that its name has arisen from the plant having been used 
with success in pulmonary complaints ; whence, also, perhaps, 
the English name, Lungwort. 

Pulmonaria Virgiiiica, — or Virginian Lungwort, — occurs 
pretty commonly in the shady woods of Pennsylvania, and 
most other of the southern and western States. Its flowers, 
which appear in May, look like so many small, bright-blue, 
pendulous funnels, internally open at the orifice, after the man- 
ner of the genus, each springing out of a prismatic, pen- 
tagonal, five-toothed calyx. 

After flowering, the plant to appearance dies, as it is not 
seen until the following spring ; propagated by divisions of the 
root. This is one of the most elegant ornaments of the flower- 
garden in May. 

P. officinalis, — Medicinal Lungwort, — is a pretty dwarf 
species, in bloom from April to June, with clusters of red and 
bluish-purple flowers, with spotted leaves ; six inches high. 

P. Siberica and maritima are elegant perennials, greatly 
13* 



150 breck's book of flowers. 

resembling each other, and considered by some, as most proba- 
bly, only varieties. They are among the most elegant orna- 
ments of the flower-garden, in dry springs ; but they require 
some care in keeping, unless in a soil almost entirely of sand. 



PYRETHRUM. 

Feverfew. 

Fyrethruvi parthenium plena, — or Double Feverfew, — is 
an ornamental plant, with pure white flowers, from June to Sep- 
tember ; two feet high. It is frequently kept in green-houses, 
but stands out all winter with a little protection. It is raised 
from cuttings, or by dividing the roots. When raised from 
seed, most of the plants will be worthless, not much better 
than weeds, as there is no beauty in the single flowers. 



RANUNCULUS. 
Buttercup. 

There are- a number of varieties of Buttercups, which are 
found double, and are frequently introduced into the flower- 
garden. 

Ranimculus repens flora plena is a double variety; the roots 
are creeping, and therefore the plant is rather troublesome. 
The flowers are pretty; a glossy yellow; in bloom a number 
of months. 

B,. acris flora plena is a species and variety, with upright 
stems ; two feet high, with bright-yellow double flowers, in 
June and July. 

i2. aconitif alius flora pletia. — This beautiful plant has fine 
double white flowers, in June ; one foot high ; for some reason 
it is not much cultivated in this country. It goes by the name 
of *' Fair Maids of France." 



RUDBECKIA — SABBATIA SARR ACENU. 151 

RUDBECKIA. 

This is a genus of North American plants, some of them 
valuable for the border ; all are hardy, and easily propagated 
by dividing the roots. 

Rudbeckia fulgida has large, brilliant yellow flowers, with 
a dark centre, or disk ; about two feet high ; continuing in 
bloom all the months of July and August. 

R. purpurea. — Purple Rudbeckia. — This plant grows from 
three to four feet high. The disk of the flower is very rich, 
appearing, in the sun, of a golden crimson ; the rays are purple, 
and, in some of the varieties, quite long.- 

R. nudijlora. — This is a beautiful species ; it grows three 
feet high ; the stems branched, producing a long succession of 
flowers, with long, conical, dark disks, and very long, wavy 
rays, of a pure, clear yellow. 

There are many other species, but mostly coarse-growing 
plants. . 

SABBATIA. 

This is a pretty genus of North American plants, not much 
cultivated, but, if properly managed, would no doubt prove a 
great acquisition. 

Sabbatia chloifoides is found growing in Plymouth county, on 
the margin of ponds ; it has large, showy pink flowers, in July. 
There is also a variety with white flowers ; it is a biennial, 
and must therefore be propagated from the seed, which should 
be sown in moist ground, as soon as ripe, or early in the 
spring. 

SARRACENIA. 
Side- Saddle Flower. 

This very curious plant is found growing in our wet, boggy 
meadows and swamps. It will succeed in any wet corner of the 



152 bkeck's book of flowers. 

garden, (if there is any such,) and it is well worthy a place, on 
account of the singularity of the leaves, which are tubular and 
hold water. The stigma of the flower resembles a woman's 
pillion of olden time ; hence the common name. 



SANGUINARIA. 

JBloodroot. 

From sanguis, blood. All the parts, on being wounded 
discharge a blood-colored fluid. 

Sanguinaria canadensis. — This is a singular and very deli- 
cate looking, indigenous plant, producing shining white flowers, 
in April. It has a tuberous, fleshy root, and easily transferred 
to the garden, where it shows ofi'to advantage with the Crocus 
and other flowers. 



SAXIFRAGA. 
Saxifrage. 

An elegant and extensive genus of Alpine plants, which 
have long been favorites in English gardens ; most of them 
are dwarf plants, and suitable for rock-work ; but many species 
are difficult to cultivate. There is a native species in flower 
in May ; in great abundance about rocks and barren places, 
with greenish-white flowers ; very fragrant ; six or eight inches 
high. 

Saxifraga crassifolia has broad, thick leaves, rising from the 
crown of the plant, from which are thro'wn up stems one foot 
high, with panicles of pink flowers, in May and June. 



SEDUM — SOLIDAGO — SPIKJEA. 153 

SEDUM. 

St07ie Crop. 

Sedum, from sedere. — These plants, growing upon the bare 
rock, look as if sitting upon it. The species are low succu- 
lent, some of them pretty, others curious ; but none of them 
remarkable in any way. Some look pretty on rock-work, and 
others are frequently used for edgings to walks. The species 
are very numerous. 



SOLIDAGO, 
Golden Rod. 



This is an extensive family of native plants, some of them 
showy, with dense spikes, or panicles of yellow flowers, in 
August and September. A few of them look pretty in the 
garden, and help to make up a variety. 



SPIR^A. 

i This genus affords numerous ornamental shrubs and herba- 
ceous plants, some of them very desirable. Among the herba- 
i ceous are the following, which are all very hardy, and easily 
' propagated by dividing the roots. 

j Spircea Jilipendula. — Dropwort. — A very elegant species, 
1 with tuberous roots like the Peony. Flowers white ; the buds 
I shaded with pink; in corymbs; two feet high; from June to 
I August. The foliage is beautiful. 

S. Jilipendula plena. — Double Dropwort. — A very desirable 
J plant, with clusters of fine double white flowers, from June to 
I October. It is more dwarfish than the last ; not more than one 
I foot high. The time to divide the tubers of these two varieties 
I is in August ; they will then flower strong, the next year. 



154 breck's book of flowers. 

S. ulmaria pleno. — Double Meadow Sweet. — This is a 
handsome border plant, producing proliferous corymbs of double 
white flowers, on erect stems two feet high, in June and July. 
A variety of this has variegated leaves. 

S. lobata. — Lobe-leaved Spiraea. — A beautiful species, with 
deep pink or red flowers, in proliferous corymbs, in June and 
July ; stems two feet high. 

<S. palmata. — This is a magnificent species from the west, 
growing to the height of five or six feet, with immense clusters 
of red flowers, in July ; leaves palmate ; flowers in large pro- 
liferous corymbs. 

S, aruncus. — Goat's-beard. — Three or four feet high, with 
white panicled spikes, in June and July ; leaves supra-decom- 
pound. 

S. Japonica. — Japan Spirsea. — A species more delicate 
than the last ; the flowers arranged in the same way ; of a 
purer white ; two feet high, in July and August. 

These are some of the principal herbaceous Spirceas. All 
succeed best in a strong, moist soil, and endure the hardest 
winter without protection. For many beautiful shrubby spe- 
cies, see Shrubs. 



STATICE. 

Sea Lavender. 

This is a very ornamental genus. The species are not com- 
mon, and require a little care in cultivation. Statice speciosa 
and tartarica are amomg the prettiest of hardy plants. 



TRADESCANTIA. 

Spiderwort, 

All the species are of the easiest culture, but not many of 
them can be called beautiful. 



TROLLIUS — VALERIANA. 155 

Tradescantia Virginica is a valuable border flower, on ac- 
count of its continued succession of fine blue flowers, which it 
produces every morning from May to September. It has long, 
grass-like foliage ; flowers on stems, one and a half foot high, 
in clusters ; umbel-like. There is a variety with white, and 
another with double reddish purple flowers. 



TROLLIUS. 

Globe Flower. 

Trollius is derived from trol^ or trollen, an old German word 
signifying something round, in allusion to the globular form of 
the flowers. 

T. Europmis flowers in June and July. It has large lemon- 
yellow globular blossoms, on stems two feet high. 

T. Asiaticus has dark orange flowers ; one foot high ; in 
June and July. 

T. Americus is a dwarf indigenous species, with yellow 
flowers, in May ; all flourish best in rich, moist soil. The two 
first are desirable border flowers. 



VALERIANA. 

Valerian. 

ValeriuTia pku, — Garden Valerian, — is a tall-growing 
jplant, three or four feet high, producing an abundance of 
ismall, white, fragrant flowers, in May and June, in large 
corymbs ; desirable on account of its pleasant odor. 
I V. pyrenaicum, — Heart-leaved, — is sometimes seen in flower- 
jgardensj three feet high, with small pink flowers in corymbs, 
in May and June. The species are all ornamental border 

lants, of easy culture, in common earth, preferring moist and 

hady places. 



156 breck's book of flowers. 

VERONICA. 

Speedwell. 

An extensive family, most of the species bemg ornamental 
plants, the taller growing sorts suitable for the borders, and 
those of a more dwarfish habit for the rockery. The flowers 
are produced in spire-like spikes, or racemes, and are generally 
blue ; but some few species are white, and others pink. 

V. Virginicum is a tall, strong-growing species, four or five 
feet high, with white flowers in clustered spikes ; in July and 
August ; suitable for the shrubbery. 

V. Siberica has blue flowers, in spikes, in July and August ; 
two feet high. 

V. speciosa is a dwarf species, with brilliant blue flowers, in 
spikes ; June and July. 

V. azurea is two or three feet high, with fine sky-blue 
flowers. 

V. spicata is about one foot high, with fine blue flowers. 

There are as many as fifty species, all easily cultivated in 
almost any soil ; propagated by dividing the roots. 



VINCA. 

Periwinkle. 

Some of the genus are hardy evergreen trailing plants, val- 
uable for their early and long-continued flowering, flourishing 
under the shade and drip of trees. The most common hardy 
species are Vi7ica major and V. minor, with a number of varie- 
ties ; flowers generally blue. It is best to give a little protec- 
tion in winter. 



VIOLA. 157 

VIOLA. 

Violet. 

" Violets, sweet tenants of the shade, 
In purple's richest pride arrayed, 

Your errand here fulfil ; 
Go bid the artist's simple staia 
Your lustre imitate in vain, 
And match your Maker's skill." 

This is an extensive genus of plants, of dwarf habits, suita- 
ble for the border or rock-work. There are many indigenous 
species which flourish well in the garden, and will repay the 
trouble of collecting them from the woods, meadows, and pas- 
tures. 

Viola odorata, — or the Sweet-scented Violet, — should not be 

wanting in any collection of plants, on account of its fragrance 

and early appearance. A single flower will perfume a large 

' room. The flowers appear in April, and continue through 

( May. There are the single white and single blue, and the 

double blue and white varieties ; the double sorts are the most 

I 

I desirable ; they succeed best in a shady, sheltered place, and 

I are rapidly multiplied by divisions of the plant. 

1 Viola tricolor. — Pansy ; Lady's Delight. — The Heart's 

Ease, or Pansy, is a general favorite, — an old acquaintance 

with every one who has had anything to do with a flower-gar- 

I den. It begins to open its modest but lively flowers as soon as 

I the snow clears off* in the spring, and continues to enliven the 

I garden till the snow comes again. The flowers are in the 

l. greatest perfection in May and June. The burning sun of 

summer is unfavorable for their greatest beauty ; but in autumn 

jthey are fine again. The Pansy is properly a biennial, but can 

\ be perpetuated by cuttings or divisions of the root. 

I Viola grandiflora is an improvement of V. tricolor, or on a 

[larger scale, and this has now become a florist's flower. The 

I following directions for its cultivation are from the Gardener's 

Chronicle : — 

14 



158 breck's book of flowers. 

•' I know of no plant so easy to cultivate, and at the same 
time so difficult to keep from year to year, as the Pansy. It 
may be raised from seeds and bloomed in a few months, and 
an endless variety of color, marking, and texture, may thus be 
produced. Choice kinds, either selected from the seed-beds or 
procured from the florists, are seldom bloomed more than once, 
unless by some expert amateur, or in some favorable locality. 
In winter, the Pansy is extremely liable to damp off, although 
protected in frames ; and we all know, to our mortification, the 
ill effect of a summer's sun on it. It is scarcely possible to 
point to another tribe of plants so peculiarly the amateur's as 
this, or one that puzzles him to cultivate more. The following 
hints may assist him. 

" Seeds sown in August, in the open border, will come up 
readily in a few weeks. The seeds should be slightly covered 
with fine soil, if covered at all, as half the seeds sown rot in 
the ground, from being covered too deeply. As soon as they 
expand the second set of leaves, they should be planted out 
into beds, in lines, from eight to ten inches asunder. If the 
seed has been carefully saved from good kinds, an interesting 
display will be the result ; and the raising of new varieties is 
a labor of peculiar interest. As spring advances, the plants so 
treated will commence flowering. The next point will be to 
select those which possess good qualities, with a view to per- 
petuate them. There are many singular and pleasing varie- 
ties that do not come within the arbitrary rules by which florist's 
flowers are judged, which nevertheless are worth retaining for 
common border decoration ; but if a rigid adherence to these 
rules is determined upon, then the flowers must be as nearly 
round as possible, expanding their petals flatly; crumpled 
petals, with ragged edges, are points that will justify their 
being cast aside. Round flowers, with flat petals, must also 
have firmness of texture to recommend them ; a flimsy flower 
in the fancy, although possessing other properties, is univer- 
sally discarded. The eye should be concentrated, and not 
starry j the colors soft and clearly defined. These instructions 



YUCCA. 159 

will enable the amateur to select the right kinds from his seed- 
ling beds. As soon as he has determined upon those worth 
retaining, propagation should be commenced, and this is a sim- 
ple matter. Cuttings taken off at the second and third joints 
will root readily, placed behind a hedge, or wall, on the north 
side, without any protection whatever. Insert them two inches 
apart, and one inch deep, in soil of a light sandy texture, and 
they will root in a few weeks. Take care that all damp leaves 
are removed as soon as they appear. 

" To produce a bed of choice Pansies, select a north aspect, 
with a cool bottom. Soil of medium texture, and moderately 
enriched, should be preferred for the production of large flowers. 
Keep the soil frequently stirred around them, and be careful 
that the border is free from wire worm. If the plants are put 
out in September, they will be established before winter ; and I 
have frequently found that plants so treated, get through the 
winter quite as well as those coddled in frames. As their 
propagation is easy, depend exclusively upon young plants for 
the following season's bloom. Seeds should only be saved 
from beds of selected flowers possessing the best qualities ; for 
it is only by following this up, that improved kinds to any 
extent can be obtained; and, as seed is readily produced, it is 
not worth while saving that from doubtful or indifferent sorts." 



YUeCA. 

Adam's JVeedle. 

This is an ornamental genus of plants, mostly natives ot the 
southern States and South America. Some of them succeed 
well in the open ground in the northern States, and form a 
pleasing contrast with other plants, on account of the peculiar- 
ity of their foliage, which resembles the palm, or aloe. The 
leaves are sharp-pointed, stiff, and rigid ; and, in some of the 
species, the edges of the leaf are margined with long threads. 

Yucca Jilimentosa, or Adam's Thread, is one of the most 



160 breck's book of flowers. 

hardy sorts. It is called Thready Yucca, from the long threads 
that hang from the leaves. The flower-stem grows to the height 
of five or six feet, and nearly the whole of it is covered with 
large, bell-shaped, white flowers, sitting close ; all the species 
are rather shy flowerers ; in August and September. 

y. gloriosa and superba are two splendid species, producing 
an immense number of their fine bell-flowers on their tall stems. 
The foliage of all the species is evergreen, and they closely re- 
semble each other. The severity of our winters often blackens 
the foliage ; to prevent this, the leaves should be gathered up 
and tied together, and covered with straw. Propagated from 
suckers. 



DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF ANNUAL FLOl^^RS, WITH DIRECTIONS 
FOR THEIR CULTIVATION. 



*• The earth, all light and loveliness, in summer's golden hours, 
Smiles in her bridal vesture clad, and crowned with festal flowers, 
So radiantlj' beautiful, so like to heaven above. 
We scarce can deem more fair that world of perfect bliss and love." 



AGERATUM. 



Ageraticm Mexicanum. — Mexican Ageratum. — A half- 
hardy annual, with light-blue compound flowers, in July and 
August ; about one and a half foot high ; very pretty, but not 
remarkable for beauty. 



ADONIS. 



Adcniis auhtmnalis is a hardy annual ; the seeds sown in 
the spring will flower in September. If sown in September, 
they will flower the June following. The foliage is handsome ; 
the flowers blood-red; one to two feet high. 



ALYSSUM. 

Alyssum viarithmm. — Sweet Alyssum. — This is a desira- 
ble hardy annual, flowering from June to November ; one foot 
high ; flowers white, in long racemes, which continually extend 
themselves through the season, producing flowers until killed 
by hard frosts. This produces a fine effect when planted in 
masses. The plants should not be planted nearer than one 
foot from each other. 

14# 



162 breck's book of flowers. 



ARGEMONE. 



Argemone grandijlora is the most showy of the genus ; a 
native of Mexico. Its large flowers, with delicate white petals 
and numerous yellow stamens, make a splendid appearance, 
and WQ think much superior to 

A. ochroleiica, with pale-yellow flowers. The leaves, cap- 
sules, and the whole plant, are armed with formidable spines, 
and having once had the hands or any part of the body come 
in contact with them, the plant will be forever after, viewed 
with feelings far from those of pleasure. 

A. barclayana is equal to it, in its powers of annoyance, but 
its more showy, brilliant yellow flowers make amends, in some 
measure, for its repulsive appearance. 

The roots of the Argemo7te, if taken up and kept in pots, in 
a frame or cellar, will flower much stronger the next year than 

seedlings. 

—* — 

ALONSOA. 

Beautiful green-house plants, but flower finely in the open 
ground as annuals. 

Alonsoa incisifolia. — Nettle-leaved Alonsoa. — The flowers 
of all the species are a rich scarlet, which are produced all the 
season. This species has nettle-shaped but delicate leaves; 
one to two feet high. The seed may be sown the last of 
May, in the open ground, or in the hot-bed, in April. 

A. grandijlora has larger flowers, but very much like the 
last. 



AMARANTHUS. 

Amaranthus tricolor. — This is a tender annual, — an old 
favorite of the flower-garden, — the chief beauty of which con- 
sists in its variegated leaves. Miller, in ancient times, says, 
" There is not a handsomer plant than this, in its full lustre." 



AMARANTHUS. ' 163 

Gerarde thus speaks of it : — 

" It farre exceedeth my skill to describe the beauty and 
excellencie of this rare plant, called Floramor ; and I thinke 
the pensil of the most curious painter will be at a stay, when, 
he shall come to set it downe in his lively colours. But to 
colour it after my best manner, this I say, Floramor hath a 
thicke, knobby root, whereon do grow many threddie strings ; 
from which ariseth a thicke stalke, but tender and soft, which 
beginneth to divide itself into sundry branches at the ground, 
and so vpward, whereupon doth grow many leaves, wherein 
does consist his beauty : for in few words, euerie leafe resem- 
bleth in colour the most faire and beautifull feather of a Parot, 
especially those feathers that are mixed with most sundry col- 
ours, as a stripe of red, and a line of yellow, a dash of white, 
and a rib of green colour, which I cannot with words set forth, 
such are the sundry mixture of colours that Nature hath be- 
stowed, in her greatest jolitie, vpon this floure. The floure 
doth grow betweene the footstalks of those leaves and the body 
of the stalk or trunk, base, and of no moment in respect of the 
leaves, being as it were little chaffie husks of an ouerworne 
tawny colour ; the seed is black, and shining like burnished 
home." 

A. Mjpochondriacus. — Prince's Feather. — This is a hardy 
annual, well known, four or five feet high, with numerous 
heads of purphsh-crimson flowers, suitable for the shrubbery. 

A. superbus is an improved variety of the last ; flowers dark 
red ; three to four feet high ; from June to September. 

A. caudatus. — Love-lies-bleeding. — This is also a well- 
known hardy annual, from three to four feet high, with blood- 
red flowers, which hang in pendant spikes, and, at a little dis- 
tance, look like streams of blood ; in July and August, li is 
sometimes called, in YxdJXCQ, ^' Discipline des religieuses,^^ — 
the Nun's Whipping-rope. 

There is another variety, with straw-colored flowers, but it is 
too mean-looking for the flower-garden. 



164 • breck's book of flowers. 



AMMOBIUM. 



Ammohium alatum. — Winged Ammobium. — This is a very- 
pretty half-hardy annual, with composite white flowers, or with 
white, dry, involucral scales, like some of the everlastings. 
The flowers, when gathered before they fully mature, retain 
their shape and brightness, and are fit companions for the 
Globe Amaranths, Immortal Flower, &c., for winter orna- 
ments. It grows two feet high ; in flower from June to Octo- 
ber. The stems have a curious winged attachment their 
whole length. 



ANAGALLIS. 



Anagallis Indica. — Indian Anagallis. — A dwarf trailing 
plant, with blue flowers, in July and August. 



ASTER CHINENIS. 

NOW CALLISTEMME HOKTENSIS. 

China Aster. 

The Double China Aster, now known as the German Aster, 
has, within a few j'-ears, been very much improved and per- 
fected by the German florists, and others, so that it is hardly to 
be recognized as the same flower as the old China Aster of the 
flower-garden. The varieties are now very numerous, and 
possess exceeding beauty, some of them being almost as large 
as a small Dahlia, and much more graceful. The full-quilled 
varieties are the most highly esteemed, having a hemispherical 
shape, either a pure white, clear blue, purple, rose, or deep red ; 
or beautifully mottled, striped, or edged, with those colors, or 
having a red or blue centre. They are also of various habits ; 
some dwarf, others taller, some spreading, and others growing 
erect and very much branched. Seeds, sown in the fall of the 



AVENA — BARTONIA. 165 

year, produce early flowers ; but they come too early in bloom, 
and are not so perfect as those coming into flower about the 
first of September. 

My practice is to sow the seeds the last of May, in patches, 
and transplant to a bed well prepared the last of June. The 
plants should stand a foot apart ; but there being some uncer- 
tainty as to the character of the flower, although the seed may 
have been the very best, I put out two or three plants near 
each other, and when they begin to flower, cut out those that 
are inferior, and leave those only that are perfect. In this way 
alone can the character of the flower be kept up. Otherwise, 
tliey will soon degenerate into inferior flowers. 



AVENA. 

Avena steralis, — or Animated Oat, — is sometmies grown as 
an object of curiosity, on account of its singular hygrometrical 
properties. After the seeds have fallen off", their strong beard 
is so sensible of alternation in the atmosphere as to keep them 
in apparently spontaneous motion, when they resemble some 
grotesque insect crawling upon the ground. 



BARTONIA. 

Bm-tonia aurea. — Golden-flowered. — A very pretty flow- 
ering annual, the flower-stem rising a foot high. The plant 
produces a profusion of showy flowers, of a fine golden-yellow 
color. Each blossom is about two inches and a half across. 
The plant is a native of California. It delights in a sheltered, 
sunny situation, and it is to be grown in a rich soil, where it 
will bloom profusely. The plant requires to be raised as a 
frame annual, and to be planted in the border in May. 



166 breck's book of flowers. 



BROWALLIA. 



Broivallia elata. — Blue Amethyst. — A tender annual from 
Peru, named by Linnsus in honor of John Browallius. It 
grows one and a half foot high, and bears an abundance of 
small bright-blue flowers, from July to September. There is 
a variety with white flowers. 

To have it in perfection, it should be sown in hot-beds, and 
transplanted into the open ground the first of June. The 
plants are very minute when they first make their appearance, 
and, unless protected from the sun, are liable to be destroyed. 
In the open ground, it should be sown about the 10th of May. 

BRIZA. 

Quaking Grass. 

Briza, from a Greek word, to balance, the spikelets being 
continually in a state of suspension, or balance, in the air. It 
is a curious genus. 

B. maxima is sometimes cultivated as a border flower j the 
spikes of the grass are elegant, when dried, and help to make 
up a bouquet of immortal flowers. 



BRACHYCOME. 

Brachycome iberidifolia. — Swan Daisy. — A beautiful hardy 
annual, of dwarf habit, six or eight inches high ; in bloom 
from July to September. Flowers of various shades of white, 
pink, or blue, suitable to be grown in masses or beds ; foliage 
delicate. 



CACCALIA. 

Caccalia coccinnea. — Scarlet Tassel-flower. — A neat annual, 
of easy culture, one and a half foot high, with scarlet tassel- 
shaped flowers, from July to September. Sow it the first of 
May. 



CALENDULA — CALANDRINIA — CALAMPELIS. 167 

CALENDULA. 

Calendula. — So named because it may be found in flower 
during the calends of each month, or, which is the same thing, 
during every month of the year. This cannot be the case in 
our climate. 

Calendula officinalis. — Pot Marigold. — A hardy annual, 
common to the gardens time out of mind, and formerly much 
used in soups and broths. Flowers deep orange, and con- 
tinue all the season. Some of the double varieties are very 
handsome. 

CALANDEINIA. 

CalaJidrinia grandijlora. — Great-flowering. — This is a half- 
hardy annual; grows two feet high ; blooms from June to Octo- 
ber. It is a fine plant for growing in masses. When the fine, 
rosy lilac flowers of this very beautiful plant are fully ex- 
panded, being produced in vast profusion, and continuing for 
so long time in bloom, they make a pleasing appearance, and 
never fail to give ample satisfaction. To have it in its greatest 
perfection, the seed should be planted in pots, and placed in a 
hot-bed early in the spring. In June the plants should be turned 
into the ground. The soil should be a rich sandy loam. 

Calandrinia discolor is in habit very much like the other ; the 
foliage is purple on the under side ; it requires the same treat- 
ment. 

CALAMPELIS. 

FORMERLY ICREMOCARPUS. 

Calampelis scaler. — Rough-podded Calampelis. — This is 
a beautiful climber, a perennial, but flowers the first year ; 
not sufl[iciently hardy to stand our winters. Its flowers are 
produced in panicles or racemes, and are of a bright orange 
color; it flowers profusely the latter part of summer. It 



16S breck's book of flowers. 

will be necessary to plant the seeds in a hot-bed early in the 
spring, and when the plants have five or six leaves they 
should be transplanted into pots, and turned into the ground 
in June. The seeds are difficult to vegetate. 



CALLIOPSIS. 

Calliopsis tinctoria. — Elegant Coreopsis. — This is a well- 
known hardy annual, formerly called Coreopsis tinctoria. The 
flowers are large and rich, having a dark crimson-brown 
centre with yellow rays. The only difficulty with the plant is 
that it makes itself too common, sowing itself over gardens, 
and making its appearance where it is not wanted. In flower 
June and July. 

Calliopsis tinctoria — var. atropurpurea. — Dyeing Calli- 
opsis, dark-flowered variety. — This variety of the well known 
and much admired Coreopsis ti?ictoria, is very superior to that 
species. The flowers are about the size of C. tinctoria; the 
centre is yellow, surrounded by a circle of dark purple, beyond 
which, to the extremity of the petals, is of a fine red scarlet 
color; some of the flowers are destitute of the yellow centre. 
It is a splendid flowering annual, and deserves a place in OA'ery 
flower-garden ; we have grown it in masses, and it produces a 
fine show. 



CARDIOSPERMUM. 

Cardiospermum halicacabum. — Balloon Vine, or Love in a 
Puff". — A half-hardy annual from the West Indies ; a creeper. 
The seed should be sown between the first and tenth of May, 
and the plant supported with brush four to six feet high. 

The plant is remarkable for its inflated membranous capsule, 
from which it is sometimes called Balloon Vine, or Love in a 
Puff*. The flowers are white and green, without any claim to 
beauty. 



CAMPANULA CANNA. 169 

CAMPANULA. 

Campanvla speculum. — Venus' Looking-glass. — An annual 
border flower, of some beauty, very hardy ; having it once in the 
ground, it will sow itself; the young plants may be taken up 
in the spring and planted where to remain, and should be set 
one foot from each other ; or sow the seed very early in the 
spring. One foot high, very branching, producing a long suc- 
cession of blue flowers, which close at the approach of rain, 
and at evening. Speculum, because the form of the corolla 
resembles a little round, elegant mirror (speculum) ; whence it 
is called Venus' Looking-glass. 

Campanula Loreyi. — Lorey's Bell-flower. — A hardy annual, 
of easy culture, thriving in almost any kind of soil, sowing 
itself, so that an abundance of plants are found the following 
year. It is dwarfish in its habits, and highly ornamental. It 
has large expanded blossoms, of a deep blue or white, which 
continue to be produced in succession through the summe. 
and autumn months. 



CANNA. 
Indian Shot. 

The genus are mostly tropical plants, with elegant foliage 
from four to eight feet high. 

Canna Indica, — or Indian Shot Plant. — This is the most 
common species, and succeeds well as an annual if the plants 
•are started in a hot-bed. If the seeds are planted in pots, and 
plunged in the bed when it has its greatest heat, the plants 
will soon appear ; and, if turned into the ground in June, will 
make large plants. In the green-house it is a perennial. 

This is desirable, not only for the beauty of its spikes of 

scarlet flowers, but also for its elegant foliage, and particularly 

to the botanist, as it belongs to the small class Motiandria, (one 

stamen,) which in this region furnishes but few examples. 

15 



170 breck's book of flowers. 

There are many species in large collections, all handsome. It 
becomes a large plant before autumn, five or six feet high, with 
deep-green leaves, three feet long, and six inches in width ; 
perfecting seed, which is round, black, and hard, having the 
appearance of large shot. It belongs to the natural order, 
CanncuB, mostly tropical plants. 



CELOSIA. 

Cockscomb. 

Celosia cristata is common in most gardens. The following 
account is inserted, to give some idea of what may be done by 
artificial means. " Mr. Knight, in October, 1S20, sent to the 
London Horticultural Society a Cockscomb, the flower of which 
measured eighteen inches in width and seven in height, from 
the top of the stalk; it was thick and full, and of a most 
intense purple-red. To produce this, the great object was to 
retard the protrusion of the flower-stalk, that it might become 
of great strength. The compost employed was of the most 
nutritive and stimulating kind, consisting of one part of unfer- 
mented horse-dung, fresh from the stable, and without litter, 
one part of burnt turf, one part of decayed leaves, and two 
parts of green turf, the latter being in lumps of about an inch 
in diameter, in order to keep the mass so hollow that the 
water might escape and the air enter. The seeds were sown 
in the spring, rather late, and the plants put first into pots of 
four inches diameter, and then transplanted to others a foot in 
diameter ; the object being not to compress the roots, as that 
has a tendency to accelerate the flowering of all vegetables. 
The plants were placed within a few inches of the glass, in a 
heat of from 70° to 100° ; they were watered with pigeon-dung 
*vater, and due attention paid to remove the side branches when 
very young, so as to produce one strong head or flower." 

The color of the scarlet varieties is highly brilliant. None 
of the other colors are so rich. The yellows are generally rather 
dull — some of them dirty-looking. The scarlets and crimsons 



CENTAUREA — CHRISEIS. 171 

are the only colors that look well. There are the tall and 
dwarf varieties, and some that are somewhat branching ; but 
these last should be rejected. To produce fine combs the soil 
cannot be made too rich ; the plants must also be forwarded in 
a hot-bed. Very showy plants can be raised by sowing the 
seed in the open ground in May, but they cannot be raised in 
perfection. 

CENTAUREA. 

Centaurea Americana. — American Centaurea. — A hand- 
some hardy annual, discovered by Nuttall, on the alluvial soil 
of the Arkansas and Red rivers, two or three feet high, with 
large purplish-pink flowers in August. It is of easy culture, 
and should be sown early in April. 

Centaurea cyanus, — Blue Bottle, — is a common weed, in 
cornfields, on gravelly soils, throughout Europe, and also a 
popular border annual. The flower, originally blue, in gardens 
present varieties with white, pink, purple and parti-colored 
rays. The time of sowing early in April. 

Centaurea moschata purpurea — var. alba. — Purple Sweet 
Sultan, White do. — Handsome border annuals, of easy cul- 
ture, natives of Persia, two feet high, with fragrant flowers 
from July to September. Sow in April, 

Centaurea suaveolens. — Yellow Sweet Sultan. — A hand- 
some annual from the Levant, one and a half foot high, with 
lively, rich yellow flowers from July to September. Sow first 
of May. 

Centaurea benedicta. — Blessed Thistle. — A hardy annual 
from Spain, two feet high, with yellow flowers from July to 
September. Sow last of April. 



CHRISEIS. 

California Poppy. 

Chriseis Californica. — Formerly Eschsholtzia. — Grows two 
feet high ; blooms from June to September. Flowers brilliant 



172 breck's book of flowers. 

shining yellow. Scarcely any plant produces a greater degree 
of splendor than this ; when the full sun is upon it, it makes a 
complete blaze of color. It is a most suitable plant for pro- 
ducing a distant effect. When it is planted out in a bed, it 
requires a considerable number of sticks for support, or the 
weak branches will be liable to lie close to the ground, and 
then the bloom is not so fine. If planted in single patches, 
they should have several sticks placed round, and a string 
fastened, so as to keep the fiower-stalks tolerably erect ; by this 
attention a neat and handsome effect will be given. I adopt 
the use of cross-strings, as well as a circular one, by which 
means I have the shoots regularly disposed. 

Chriseis crocea. — Saffron-colored Californian Poppy. — The 
principal difference between this and the variety now well 
known here, is in the color — this being a dark, bright saffron- 
color ; the botanical difference is, that in this the point of the 
calyx is longer, and the apex or end of the peduncle (flower- 
stem) is more expanded. It is, like the other, a hardy annual 
or biennial. 



CHRYSANTHEMUM. 

Chrysanthemum coronaria. — Garden Chrysanthemum. — 
Handsome hardy annuals, one variety with white, and another 
with yellow flowers ; two feet or more high; in bloom from July 
to October. Sow the seed in April. The double varieties 
alone are worth cultivation. The fine double varieties are 
propagated by cutting. 

Chrysanthemum cavinatum, or tricolor. • — Tricolored Chrysan- 
themum. — A hardy annual from Barbary, one and a half or two 
feet high, in flower from July to October. Disk of the flower 
purplish-brown, inner circle of the rays yellow, margined with 

white ; very pretty. 

♦ 

COIX. 

Coix lachryma. — Job's Tear. — A kind of tropical grass 
from the East Indies. It is called Job's Tear on account of the 



CLARKIA. 173 

appearance of its shiny, pearly fruit, which, when suspended 
on its slender pedicels, resembles in no inconsiderable degree a 
falling tear. The plant is about two or three feet high, a ten- 
der annual, and has some resemblance to Indian corn in the 
stalks and leaves. Cultivated for its singular fruit. The 
flowers are destitute of beauty. 



CLARKIA. 

Clarkia pidchella. — Beautiful Clarkia. — This is a hardy 
annual, of great beauty, discovered by Captain Clark, in his 
expedition, with Captain Lewis, to the Columbia River. It is 
a native of the Rocky Mountains. 

Plants from seed sown in August or September flower 
much stronger than when sown in the spring, but succeed very 
well when planted in April or early in May. The soil should 
not be over rich or moist, as they frequently die very suddenly 
in such a location. In a good, sound loam, rather light, it 
flourishes best. The flowers are light-purple ; plants one foot 
high ; in bloom from June to September. 

There is a variety with pure white flowers. All the varie- 
ties and species, when grown in large masses, are very orna- 
mental. 

C. elegans, — Elegant Clarkia, — and its varieties, are 
also hardy annuals, of great beauty, requiring the same treat- 
ment as Cpulchella; from one foot to eighteen inches high; 
in flower at the same time. 

C. rhmnboidea. — Entire-petalled. — Synonym. C. gau- 
roides. — It is an annual, growing about two feet high. The 
flowers are an inch across, purple and white near the bottom 
of each petal, spotted with purple. It much more resembles 
C. elegans than C. pulchella. Mr. Douglas has left some 
remarks on another species in California, closely allied to C. 
rhomboidea, viz., C. unguiculata. 
15^ 



174 breck's book of flowers. 

CLINTONIA. 

Clintonia elegans. — Elegant Clintonia. — A beautiful ten. 
der annual, with delicate foliage, and rich blue flowers in great 
profusion ; six inches high ; in July and August. 

C. pulchella. — Pretty Clintonia. — A native of California. 
It is a pretty flowering tender annual, of very humble g^o^^ih, 
only rising a few inches high. The flowers are rather larger 
than C. elegans, blue, with a broad white spot at the centre, 
stained with a rich yellow. The Slower is about half an inch 
across. Its delicacy of growth will prevent its spreading 
rapidly through the country. 

The Clintonias, when grown in pots in the green-house, are 

very beautiful. 

— • — i 

CLEOME. 

This is an elegant tribe of plants, and very curious in their 
structure. The petals range themselves on the upper side, and 
the stamens and pistil are protruded a considerable length on 
slender filaments, forming beautiful airy groups. 

Cleome grandiflora is one of the most showy of the genus. 
It is easily raised from seed, when planted in the open ground, 
in April or May, and blooms abundantly from July to Septem- 
ber ; grows from three to four feet high. Its spikes, continually 
increasing in length, are always surmounted with a crest of 
beautiful buds and flowers, which are of a pale pink-purple. 
It is beautiful in the garden, but withers very quickly when cut. 

C. pentaphylla. — This is also a handsome annual, of the 
same habit of the last ; about two or three feet high ; the flow- 
ers pure white ; the odor of the plant is most offensive. 

C. spinosa is a spiny plant, v/hich grows about four feet 
high, and bears a spike of beautiful white (sometimes pinkish) 
flowers. All the species flourish in any common garden soil. 

However beautiful and curious these plants may be, and 
desirable for show, they are repulsive to the smell and unpleas- 
ant to the touch, and, therefore, will not be favorites. 



COBiE — COLLOMIA — COLLINSIA. 175 



COB^. 

Cob<s scandens. — Mexican Climbing Cobce. — This is the 
most rapid green-house plant known, having been found to 
grow two hundred feet in one summer, in a conservatory. It 
is a perennial, but will not stand the winter, and, unless culti- 
vated in a green-house, is classed with tender annuals. It 
flourishes well in the open air, especially if it is first started in 
a hot-bed, in a pot, and turned into the ground in June. I 
have found it to continue blooming after a number of moderate 
frosts. The flowers are large, purple, and bell-shaped. The 
foliage is handsome, and the tendrils, which are fine and silky, 
will attach themselves to anything within reach, even a cobweb. 
If located in a warm place, it will cover a large space before it 
is destroyed by the frost. It can be raised by cuttings, but is 
rather difficult to keep through the winter. 



COLLOMIA. 

Colloniia coccimiea. — Avery lively flower, growing in heads of 
bright carmine red, rather desirable and early. The seeds 
have, like some of the Salvias, the curious property of becom- 
ing invested with vegetable mucus when moistened with 
water. 



COLLINSIA. 

Collinsia hicolor. — Two-colored Collinsia. — A beautiful 
hardy annual, with white and light-purple flowers, which are 
numerous and pretty in June and July ; one foot high. 

C. gramlijlora. — Large-flowering Collinsia. — This is 
another beautiful species, with large flowers, blue and purple ; 
flowering at the same time, and about the same height, but 



176 breck's book of flowers. 

more spreading. Both species are suitable to be planted in 
masses. Foliage delicate. 



COMMELINA. 

Commelina ccelestis. — Sky-blue Commelina. — Tender an- 
nual, or perennial if the roots are taken up and housed. The 
splendid blue flowers of this plant cannot be excelled, and its 
profusion of blossoms renders it deserving of cultivation in 
every flower-garden. The plant blooms from the middle of 
June to October. The roots are tuberous, and keep well 
through winter, if taken up after the blooming season, and pre- 
served like Dahlia roots. Plants from the old roots grow, 
in good soil, from two to three feet high ; those from seeds 
reach only from one to two feet. The following is the mode 
of management I have practised : — I fix upon a circular bed, 
eight feet in diameter, and in the first week in May I plant 
four feet of the centre with the old roots, placing the crowns 
just under the surface of the soil. The outer portion of the 
bed I plant with spring-sown plants, that have been raised in 
pots placed in a frame. Both the roots and plants should be 
planted about six inches apart. Thus, the centre of the bed 
being much higher than the outer part, the appearance is that 
of a splendid blue cone of flowers, scarcely to be excelled in 
beauty. Seeds are . produced in abundance, and may be 
obtained of seedsmen at a small cost. 



COREOPSIS. 

Coreopsis Drummondii. — Drummond Coreopsis. — A very 
sho\vy hardy annual, with large yellow flowers, suitable for 
growing in masses, as it continues in bloom all the season. 
One foot high. 

C. tinctoria will be found under the head of Calliopsis. 



CONVOLVULUS — CREPIS — DATURA. 177 

CONVOLVULUS. 

Morning Glory. 

Convolvuhis minor. — Dwarf Convolvulus. — A beautiful 
hardy annual, easily cultivated, affording a large mass of 
beauty from July to October. The plant spreads out much in 
every direction from the centre, so that a bed of them, with 
the plants two feet distant from each other, will interlock. 
It is not exceeded in elegance by any plant, when profusely 
covered with blue and yellow flowers, which open in the morn- 
ing, and continue the greater part of the day, if the sun is not 
powerfully hot, in which case they often fade by noon. The 
seed should be sown in April. 

C. major. — Morning Glory. — A well-known annual, of 
easy culture, and suitable for covering arbors or shading win- 
dows, consisting of many varieties, as white, rose, purple, and 
striped. 



CREPIS. 

Crepis larhata. — Purple-eyed Crepis. — The Purple-eyed 
Crepis is an uncommonly hardy and beautiful annual, of the 
easiest culture. Sown in masses, and the plants thinned out 
to eighteen inches distance, it makes a splendid appearance. 
It begins to flower the first of July, and continues, till October, 
covered with beautiful flowers, the rays of a light yellow, finely 
contrasted with the brilliant purple-brown of the centre. 



DATURA. 

Thorn Apple — Apple of Peru. 

Datura, taUda, feroz guercifolia. — The first of these is the 
common weed called the Apple of Peru ; feroz resembles it in 



178 breck's book of floweks. 

growth, but the flower is pure white ; querrAfolia we think the 
handsomest flower of either species ; it is larger than tatvla, 
measuring five inches across the mouth, white, the nerves of a 
fine pink, shaded with a dull purple. The fruit is contained 
in a smooth capsule, and the leaf is somewhat like the oak, 
{quercus,) whence its name. The manner of growth is very- 
elegant ; and as each succeeding blossom burst through its fine 
calyx, we thought it more beautiful than its predecessor. We 
can truly recommend this as an ornament to the garden. 
D. stramo7iium, double purple, is also a very desirable flower. 



DELPHINIUM. 
Larkspur. 

The annual Larkspurs are familiar to almost every one. 
Some of the species and varieties are among the most common 
ornaments of the garden. They are all very hardy, and 
flower stronger when self-sown in summer, or planted in beds, 
or in the border, in August or September. There are two dis- 
tinct species in common cultivation, differing essentially in 
their habits. 

Delphiniwn consolida. — Branching Larkspur. — This va- 
riety grows from two to three feet high, producing its flowers 
in spikes, which are contmually pushing out from the main 
stem and branches, giving an abundance of bloom through the 
season. Flowers blue, white, pink, and variegated. The double 
varieties are the most desirable. Masses of the different sorts 
appear to great advantage. 

D. ajacis. — Dwarf Eocket Larkspur. — The double varieties 
of this species are among the most showy ornaments of the 
flower-garden, when properly grown. 

A bed of the double varieties, consisting of white, pearl 
color, lilac, pink, light and dark purple, is equal in beauty to 
a bed of fine Hyacinths. Autumn-sown plants will grow from ■ 



DIANTHUS — DIDISCUS — DOLICHOS ETJTOC A. 1 79 

one and a half to two feet high. When grown in a rich, stiff 
soil, the Rocket Larkspur must always be considered the 
greatest summer ornament of the garden. The seed should be 
sown in beds where it is to remain, as it does not succeed well 
when transplanted. The plants should be thinned out so as to 
stand six inches apart. 



DIANTHUS. 
Bianthus Chinensis.—lndi\a.n Pink. See Dianihus,Tpaige 111. 



DIDISCUS. 

Didiscus ccBrulea. — Sky-blue Didiscus. — This is an ele- 
gant annual. The plant is very much branched, producing its 
fine blue flowers in numerous umbels, or hemispherical heads, 
of the size and shape of a large quilled Aster. Two feet high ; 
in July and August. Sow the seed in the open ground in 
May. Plants forwarded in a frame will begin to flower in June. 



DOLICHOS. 

Dolichos Idbbah. — Purple Hyacinth Bean. — A fine, tender 
annual climber, growing from eight to fifteen feet in a season. 
Treatment very much like the common bean. Flowers in clus- 
tered spikes. There is a variety with white flowers. 



EUTOCA. 

Eutoca viscida. — Clammy Eutoca. — The whole herbage is 
I of a dull green, copiously clothed with glandular viscid hairs. 
The glands of a soot-black ; stem about one foot high. When 



180 breck's book of flowers. 

in blossom, few plants possess greater attractions, from the 
extreme brilliancy of the flowers, which are of the deepest azure- 
blue. It is a hardy annual, and easily raised from seed. In 
bloom most of the season. 

E. divaricata. — Straggling Eutoca. — A small, light-violet 
flower, from California, not very showy. E. multiflora is in 
gardens here, but, although preferable to this, is not very likely 
to become a favorite. 

E. Wrangelina. — Baron Wrangel's Eutoca. — This pretty 
flowering annual is a native of New California, and has 
very recently been introduced into this country. The plant is 
of ready culture, growing freely in the open border, and bloom- 
ing for several months, and has a peculiarly neat appearance. 
The cymose heads, of pale-blue blossoms, are showy ; each 
blossom is about half an inch across. 

E. Menziesii. — Menzies' Eutoca. — A beautiful hardy 
annual. The whole plant is clothed with hoary down, inter- 
mixed with longer bristly hairs. Flowers light-blue, in racemes 
an inch long. The plant should be cultivated in a light soil 
and sunny situation. 



EUPHORBIA. 

Euphorbia variegata. — Variegated Euphorbia. — A most 
elegant species ; a native of Missouri and Arkansas Territory ; 
an annual much cultivated now in gardens, and highly 
esteemed; flowering late in autumn, and remarkable for its 
abundant variegated floral leaves. 

Leaves oval entire ; wavy, edged with white ; capsules 
smooth ; stems hairy. 

The seed must be sown early in April; it is some time 
vegetating. 



ERYSIMUM GAILLARDIA GILIA. 181 

ERYSIMUM. 

Erysiynum peroffskianum. — Palestine Mustard. — This is 
a hardy annual, having some resemblance to the Wall-flower. 
The plant is erect ; one foot to one and a half high ; bearing 
racemes or spikes of deep-orange blossoms from June to Sep- 
tember : a mass of it is very showy. 



GAILLARDIA. 

Gaillardia picta. — Painted Gaillardia. — A very handsome 
plant, naturally a perennial, but produces its flowers the first 
year from seed, if started early. It does not stand the winter 
without protection. It has large, beautiful crimson and yellow 
flowers in August; one to two feet high. 

G. bicolor. — Two-colored Gaillardia. — This variety ap- 
pears identical with Gaillardia picta, excepting all the leaves 
being entire. The fine large blossoms, more than two inches 
across, the large crimson disk, surrounded by a ray of fine yel- 
low, produce a very showy appearance, and render the plant 
well deserving a place in every flower-garden. Gaillardia, in 
compliment to M. Gaillard de Marentonneau, an amateur 
botanist. 



GILIA. 

Gilia tricolor. — Three-colored Gilia. — This pretty annual, 
originally from California, has found its way into most of our 
gardens. 

" This is one among the prettiest hardy annuals, not only of 
recent introduction into the country, but that is known in our 
gardens. It is, too, the more pleasing from the variation of 
tint seen among its delicate flowers, some of them being white." 

Pretty as this flower is, we fear it will not flnd favor with 
most cultivators ; something more showy is wanted to suit the 
16 



182- breck's book of flowers. 

common taste. The flowers are disposed in panicles, with a 
yellow eye, surrounded by a purple ring, bordered by pale- 
blue or white. It does not exceed one foot in height. "From 
its humble stature and neat growth it is peculiarly suited for 
culture in masses ; a style of planting showy flowers which 
produces a striking eflect, where it can be pursued on a tolera- 
bly extensive scale." 

G. tenuijlora. — Slender-flowered. — A new hardy annual 
from California. Mr. Douglass has appended the name Gilia 
splendens to the plant, but it does not certainly merit such an 
appellation, being much inferior to G. tricolor. The flowers 
of the present species are produced upon slender, branching 
stems, which rise to about two feet high ; each flower is about a 
quarter of an inch across, of a pale rose color, slightly streaked 
with red outside, and of a fine violet in the inside. The flowers 
do not produce much show where a single plant is grown ; but, 
if grown in masses, it makes a pretty addition to the flower- 
garden. 

G. capitata. — Headed Gilia. — A pretty hardy annual, 
with blue, and a variety with white, flowers, in clusters or 
heads ; from June to August ; two feet high. 



GOMPHRENA. 

Globe Amaranth. 

" Amaranths such as crown the maids 
That wander through Zamara's shades." 

Gomphrena glohosa, — Globe Amaranth, — of which there are 
three common varieties, the Avhite and the purple and the 
striped, are desirable for their heads of flowers, which, if gath- 
ered before they are too far advanced, will retain their beauty 
for several years. The seed is diflicult to vegetate in the 
open ground ; soaking in milk twelve hours is recommended ; 
scalding, perhaps, would do better. 



GODETIA HELIANTIIUS. 183 

A powerful heat in the hot-bed will start it quick, and de- 
stroy the plant also, unless care is taken. Gomphrena is said to 
be a name applied by the ancients to a plant bearing red and 
green leaves on the same stem ; probably our Amaranthus t7'i- 
color, which is a well known tender annual, of some show. 



GODETIA, 

Primrose. 

This genus of plants has been separated from (Enothera, to 
which it formerly belonged. They are generally very beauti- 
ful plants ; hardy annuals, of easy cultivation in any good gar- 
den soil. 

Godetia Lindleyana. — Lindley's Godetia. — This species is 
one of the prettiest of the tribe. The flowers are either white 
or blush, with a rich purple blotch on each petal, which gives 
great beauty to the flower. In flower in July and August ; 
about one foot high. 

G. nihicunda. — Ruddy Godetia. — A handsome hardy an- 
nual plant, growing about one and a half foot high, with purple 
flowers appearing in July and August. A native of California. 

G. densifiora, — Dense-flowered, — has its purple flowers in 
clusters. 

There are many other species and varieties, all worthy of 
cultivation, as G. lepida, quadrivulnera, purpurea, bifroics, &c. 



HELIANTHUS. 

Sun-flower. 

" Great Helianthas climbs the upland lawn, 
And bows in homage to the rising dawn ; 
Imbibes with eagle eye the golden ray. 
And watches as it moves tlie orb of day." 

Helianthus annuas. — Garden Sun-flower, — This lordly 
plant is too well known to need any description. A plantation 



184 breck's book of flowers. 

of them, in some locations, will do very well ; but they are 
great exhausters of the soil. 

The Double Dwarf Sun-flower is more desirable ; the tubular 
florets of the disk being changed into ligular ones, like those in 
the ray ; from three to six feet high. 



HIBISCUS. 

Hibiscus vesicarius. — African Hibiscus. — This is a plant of 
extremely easy culture ; should be planted early in the spring. 
The petals are large and showy, of a straw color, the centre a 
deep rich brown or purple, finely contrasted with the brilliant 
gold color of the stamens or anthers. The flowers quickly 
perish, but, to compensate for their frailty, it continues to bloom 
from June to September. 



HELICHRYSUM. 

Everlasting Flower. 

A family of plants much admired on account of the beauty 
of their flowers, when dried ; which, if gathered when they 
first open, and carefully dried, retain their color and shape for 
many years. They are, therefore, highly prized for winter 
mantel bouquets, and ornaments for vases, &c. 

Helichrysiwi bracteatum. — Golden Eternal Flower. — It is a 
hardy annual, growing two feet high, producing flowers from 
July to November. There is a variety with white flowers. 

H. micanthrum. — Large Everlasting Flower. — This is of 
the same height as the preceding, flowering at the same time ; 
flowers much larger ; one variety white, tipped with red ; an- 
other yellow, tipped in the same way ; all are easily cultivated 
in a rich, loamy soil. Plants, forwarded in a frame, are in 
bloom from June to November. 



IDERIS. — IMPATIENS. 185 

IBERIS. 

Candy-Tvft. 

Iberis, from the country called Iberia, now Spain. Most 
of the species grow in such countries. They are generally 
pretty plants, and some of them cultivated in gardens as hardy 
annuals, under the name of Candy-Tuft, — a name which was 
originally applied to the I. umbellata only, which was first dis- 
covered in Candia. 

/. umbellata has umbels of purple flowers, in June and July. 

/. aviara, or bitter, has white flowers, in umbels, at the same 
time. Both are hardy annuals, of no little beauty, (the last 
from England,) and worthy of cultivation. The seed should 
be sown early in April ; height about one foot. 

/. coronaria. — Eocket Candy-Tuft. — This hardy annual is 
of considerable beauty, being very showy, and a pure white. 
The clusters of racemes are numerous and very large, being 
three or four inches long. At a distance, the fine flowers very 
much resemble the Double White Rocket. It blooms for sev- 
eral months during the summer. It well deserves a place in 
every flower-garden. 

All the species and varieties of the Candy-Tuft are very 
hardy, and easy to cultivate. The fall-sown seeds flower early , 
those sown in April, from July to September ; and some of 
the species until the frost in October. There is a variety, called 
the New Crimson, that is not crimson, but a deep, rich purple. 
All the varieties look best in beds, or masses. 



IMPATIENS. 

' Balsam. 

Impatiens lalsamina. — Touch-me-not. — The Double Bal- 
i sam is one of the most prominent ornaments of the garden, in 
July and August. Old seed is considered by some to be the 
best, as more likely to produce double flowers. The seeds 



186 breck's book of flowers. 

should be saved from double flowering plants only ; all single 
flowering ones should be destroyed as soon as they appear. 
Most plants raised in a hot-bed do better to transplant into 
small pots, and shift to larger as they increase in size. Bal- 
sams thus treated, sown the first of April, will begin to flower 
the last of May, and may be turned into the ground in June, 
without checking their growth in the least. If the soil is rich 
and a little moist, or supplied with moisture, the plants will 
attain a monstrous size, and be completely covered with a pro- 
fusion of flowers all the season. All the full double varieties 
are beautiful ; the colors are crimson, scarlet, light and dark 
purple, rose, blush, white, &c.; some produce white and red or 
purple flowers on the same plant ; others are variegated, or 
spotted with various shades of red and purple, which are 
decidedly the most elegant. The seed should be sown in the 
open ground about the middle of May ; they will then flower 
very well for two months of the season. 



IPOMEA. 

The greater part of this genus are handsome climbing 
plants. 

Ipomea quamoclit. — Cypress Vine. — There is no annua] 
climbing plant that exceeds the Cypress Vine, in elegance of 
foliage, gracefulness of habit, or loveliness of flowers. 

The only difficulty in its successful cultivation, in our climate, 
is the shortness of our seasons. It requires heat to bring it to 
perfection, and will not give general satisfaction, unless the 
plants are brought forward in the hot-bed. 

If it is planted in the open ground, it will not be of any ad- 
vantage to sow the seed before the last of May, as it will not 
grow till the ground is warm. Previous to sowing, the seed 
should have boiling water poured over it, which should remain 
until the water is nearly cold. If so\ati in a warm place, the 
plants will appear above ground in a few days. The plants are 
difiicult to transplant, therefore the seeds should be sown where 



IPOMEA. 187 

the plants are to remain. Without scalding, or unless the hull 
of the seed is taken off, it will remain in the ground a long 
time without vegetating. Plants thus raised will, in a warm 
season, do very well, but much inferior to those that have been 
forwarded in the frame. The seeds should be sown in a hot- 
bed, with a brisk heat, in March, in small pots, a number of 
seeds in each pot, so as to be sure of two or three plants in 
each. In a month, if carefully attended, the roots will have 
filled the pots ; it will then be necessary to shift the plants into 
larger ones. Before the first of June, the plants will begin 
to flower ; but do not be in haste to put them into the ground; 
keep them in the frame, where they can be protected in case 
of cold storms, but expose them during the day to the full 
influence of the sun and air, by taking the sashes entirely off. 
By the 10th of June, the plants may be turned into the ground 
veiy carefullj'', so that the roots may not be disturbed. The 
ground should be made rich with well-rotted manure; the 
plants should be placed at the distance of one foot, or a foot 
and a half, if the object is to cover a wall or trellis. I have 
covered a trellis by the middle of August, twenty-five feet long 
and five high, with its elegant feathery foliage, so as to form a 
complete screen. The flowers, like those of the Morning 
Glory, appear in the morning and perish before noon. They 
are of a deep crimson color, and contrast finely with the rich 
green of the leaves. There is another variety, with white 
flowers. It should be sheltered from the northerly winds by 
a fence, trees, or buildings. An elegant cone may be made by 
setting a straight pole substantially into the ground, eight feet 
high from the surface ; describe a circle round it, whose diam- 
eter shall be three feet ; let about ten pots of plants be turned 
into the circle ; drive down a stake by the side of each, nearly 
to the surface, to which tie a strong twine, that may be stained 
or painted green ; let it be carried to the top of the pole and fast- 
ened there ; then bring it down to the next stake, and so on until 
the whole is completed. With a little assistance the vines will 
climb the strings, and by the middle of August will be at the 



188 breck's book of flowers. 

top of the pole, making a splendid show, more than paying i t 
all the trouble. It may be trained over an arch, or any otlvjr 
way fancy may direct. This beautiful vine is a native of the 
Southern States. 

I. coccinea. — Scarlet Morning Glory. — A handsome species 
flowering in great profusion towards the close of the season, 
growing ten feet high ; a native of the West Indies. The 
flowers are bright scarlet in one variety, and, in another, yellow 
and quite small ; from July to the first hard frost. The seed 
may be sown from the 1st to the 10th of May, or treated like 
the Cypress Vine. 

I. lacunosa. — Starry Ipomea. — This is also a handsome 
species ; a North American plant ; culture the same as cocci- 
nea; with delicate blue flowers, from July to September ; ten feet 
high. There is also a variety with white flowers. 

I. nil is a highly beautiful plant, with the corollas of a clear 
blue color, whence its name anil, or nil, (indigo) ; treatment 
same as the last, and flowering the same time, attaining the 
same height ; a North American plant. 



LATHYRUS. 

Sweet Pea. 

" Peas of all kinds diffuse their odorous powers 
Where Nature pencils butterflies on flowers." 

Lathyrus odoratus is one of the most beautiful, and also one 
of the most fragrant, of the species, and is deservedly one of 
the most popular annuals which enrich the flower-garden. The 
varieties are, white, rose, scarlet, purple, black, and variegated. 
Each variety should be sown by itself, in circles about a foot 
in diameter, three or four feet from any other plant. When the 
young plants require support, a light, neat stake, or rod, should 
be stuck into the centre of the circle, to which they should be 
slightly fastened as they advance in height. Some are in the 



LASTHENIA — LAVATERA — LEPTOSIPHON. 189 

habit of supporting them with brush, which looks very un- 
sightly before it is covered with the vines. 

The Sweet Pea will grow five or six feet high, in rich 
ground, and continue in bloom from July to October. The 
seed should be sown as soon as the ground is in order in the 

spring. 

— ♦ — 

LASTHENIA. 

Lasthenia glabrata. — A yellow flower, from California, 
somewhat in the style of a small Sun-flower; not likely to 
become very popular. 

LAVATERA. 

Lavateria, — in memory of two Lavaters, physicians of 
Zurich. The species resemble those of Malva, in general 
appearance and culture. 

L. trhnestris. — Common Lavatera. — A popular hardy an- 
nual, of easy culture, and handsome appearance, flowering from 
July to September ; one variety with white, and another with 
pink, flowers ; two feet high. 

LEPTOSIPHON. 

Leptosiphon androsaceus — Androsace-like Leptosiphon. — 
The name of the genus now before us is derived from the Greek 
words leptos, slender, and siphon, a tube. Its application is 
evident. 

This is a very pretty hardy annual, of humble growth, vary- 
ing, in the color of its flowers, from white to pale pink, or pur- 
ple. It is a valuable little plant for flowering early in the sum- 
mer from autumn-sown seeds. 

The physiologist may be recommended to examine the leaves 
of this plant, which are deeply divided into segments, always 
consisting of an even number, as four, six, eight, &c. 



190 breck's book of flowers. 



LIMNANTHUS. 

Lirrmanthus Douglassii. — Mr. Douglass' Limnanthes. — A 
native of California, from whence it was sent by Mr. Douglass. 
The plant is annual, quite hardy, decumbent, stems growing 
ten or twelve inches long. The ends are crowned with nu- 
merous fragrant flowers, each about an inch across, much 
resembling in size and form the Nemophila grandijlora. A 
large portion of the flower is a deep yellow, the extremities of 
the petals being white. It blooms from June to August, im- 
nanthes, from lumen, a lake, and anthos, a flower ; the plant, 
probably, in its native habitats, growing by the sides of lakes, 
rivers, &c. 



LOASA. 

A curious genus, mostly annuals, remarkable for the beauty 
of their singular flowers, and as remarkable for the stinging 
appendages of the plants. 

Loasa acanthifolia and hrionifolia. — These are elegant yel- 
low flowers, very curious in their structure ; but the plants pos- 
sess one quality which must forever banish them from the 
pleasure garden ; the whole plant is covered with hairs, which, 
on being even slightly touched, eject a poison into the flesh, 
causing a painful blister, the effect of which does not pass off" 
for several days. 

L. lateritia. — Brick-red Loasa. — It is a native of South 
America ; a climber, growing twelve to twenty feet in a sea- 
son. The seed should be sown in a warm border, early in 
May. The flowers are prettily colored between a brick-red and 
orange shade, and produced in profusion through the summ^^r 
and autumn. It is very ornamental, when properly trained 
upon a trellis ; but it will be best not to come v/ithin touching 
distance of the plant without a good pair of gloves. 

L. pentlandica is another beautiful species, of later introduc- 



LOPHOSPERMUM — LUPINUS. 191 

tion than the last, and said to be more tender ; this is also a 
climbing- plant. 



LOPHOSPERMUM. 

Lophospermmn scandens. — Climbing Lophosper. — This 
beautiful climber is properly a green-house perennial, but is 
sometimes cultivated as an annual ; the plants flowering the 
first year in the open ground, if they have been forwarde'd in 
the hot-bed. The flowers are funnel-shaped, two inches or 
more in length, of a dull purple. There are a number of 
other varieties, with purple or crimson flowers. This beautiful 
climber is found growing over bushes, making a splendid ap- 
pearance, in the valley of Mexico. A variety, or species, with 
white flowers, was discovered in the same location. 



LUPINUS. 

' Lupin. 

\ 

' There are a number of annual Lupins in much esteem for 

, their velvet-like leaves and fine large flowers, all of vigorous 
It growth and easy to cultivate. The seeds should be planted in 
I April. The old varieties cultivated are, L. pilosas, rose ; L. 
\albus, white ; L. hirsictas, great blue ; and L. luteus, with fine 
; jyellow flowers ; all flowering in July and August. 
j L. varius is a more delicate species, with smaller foliage and 
fine blue flowers ; in bloom the same time as the others. 
'I L. Hartwegii, — Hartweg's Lupin, — is one of the most beau- 
tiful of all the species, wdth delicate foliage and numerous dense 
ppikes of rich blue flowers ; in flower from July to September ; 
!(rom one to one and a half foot high, suitable for planting in 
■J asses. 
L. Cruiksha7iM. — Cruikshank's Lupin. — This is an elegant 



192 breck's book of flowees. 

species, growing from two to three feet high, with large spikes 
of white flowers, shaded with yellow, and blue or purple. 

The whole family flower better in a lean soil than in a rich 
one. 



MADIA. 

Madia elegans. — Elegant Madia. — A pretty annua], of 
recent introduction. The seeds should be planted in the bor- 
der in May. If the plants can have a shady location, it will 
be much the best, as the bright sunshine causes the petals of 
the flower to curl up, thus destroying much of their beauty. 
The flowers are large, with yellow rays and brown disk. Early 
in the morning, or just at night, the blossoms appear exceeding 
splendid ; about two feet high. 



MALOPE. 

Malope grandijlorimn. — Grand Flowering Malope, — This 
very showy plant is of the Mallow tribe ; grows two feet to 
two feet six inches high. The flowers are produced in great 
abundance, and, being of a fine rosy-crimson, make a very gay 
appearance, rendering it a desirable plant for giving a distant 
attracting effect. It blooms from June to the end of October, 
unless cut off by frost. Seed should be sown in pots early in 
March, and be raised in a hot-bed ; or may be sown upon a hot- 
bed, under a frame or hand-glass. The plants may be set out 
in the open border by the middle of May. 

M. grandijlora alba. — A variety with white flowers, but! 
rather more delicate in its habits than the other variety. ■ 
Both of the varieties are better grown in a green-house, but 
are perfectly hardy. The plant blooms most profusely in a 
good loamy soil, mixed with a little manure or leaf-mould. If i 
the soil be very rich, the plant will be liable to grow too vigor- 
ously, and produce a vast profusion of foliage, which will 



MAURANDIA — MAUTYNEA. 193 

rather conceal the flowers ; but if moderately enriched, it will 
produce one mass of bloom. I find it profitable to give all my 
flower-beds an addition of fresh soil every winter, generally 
adding about two or three inches deep. If the Malope grandi- 
flora is not desired to come into bloom before the beginning of 
August, the seed may be sown in April or May, in the open 
border where it is desired that the plants shall blossom. The 
plant produces seed in abundance, which ripen well from plants 
that bloom early in the summer. 



MAURANDIA. 

Mmirandia Barclayana is an elegant green-house, climbing 
perennial, but may be raised from seed, and brought forward in 
a frame, so as to flower profusely from August to October, or till 
severe frosts later in the season. Plants may be had at most 
green-houses, at small expense, which, put out in the border 
with a little frame to which to attach its tendrils, will be loaded 
with its rich, purple, foxglove-shaped flowers, every day 
through the season. There are a number of other varieties, 

[ all handsome. The plants will grow from five to ten feet 

i high. 

i — 

I 

I MARTYNEA. 

Unicorn Plant. 

Handsome tropical annuals, remarkable for the size of their 
! flowers, compared with their leaves. 

Martynea proboscidea. — Common Martynea. — This plant 
is often cultivated in vegetable gardens for its capsules, which, 
when green and tender, make a fine pickle. It is also a 
curious plant for the border, on account of its large flowers ; 
but more particularly for its singularly curious seed-vessels. 

M. fragrans. — Fragrant Martynea. — This is a beautiful 
new annual, that succeeds very well when sown in the open 
17 



194 breck's book of flo^atirs. 

border the 10th of May. It is undoubtedly one of the finest 
species of the tribe ; no other one will compare with it. It is 
robust in its habit, throwing out large lateral branches, the 
plant growing three feet high, producing an immense profusion 
of flowers from the first of August till destroyed by frost. The 
flowers are large, resembling the Gloxinia, thick-set on spikes, 
and are of a delicate rosy lilac, blotched and shaded with bright 
crimson, with an agreeable odor. The foliage is thick, more 
soft and velvety than the above-described species. The seed- 
capsules add much to the appearance of the plant. 



MATHIOLA. 

Gillyflower. 

This genus contains many beautiful species and varieties 
of plants, with fragrant, handsome flowers, which have been so 
much hybridized by florists, that it would puzzle a botanist to 
define the species in most of the cultivated sorts. The Ger- 
man stocks are very much celebrated for the great variety of 
their color and size of their flowers. 

I give Cobbett's description and mode of cultivation of this 
fine tribe : — 

" If I were to choose amongst all the biennials and annuals, 
I should certainly choose the Stock. Elegant leaf, elegant 
plant, beautiful, showy, and most fragrant flower ; and, with 
suitable attention, blooms, even in the natural ground, from May 
to November in England, and from June to November here. 

" The annuals are called the Ten Week Stocks. And of 
these there are, with a pea-green leaf, the red, white, purple, 
and scarlet ; and then, there are all the same colors with a 
wall flower, or sea-green leaf. 

" Of the biennials, there are the Brompton, of which there 
are the scarlet and the white ; and the Twickenham, which is 
purple. 

" As to propagation, it is of course by seed only. If there 



TAPAVER. 203 

ana and others have been separated from this genus, and now 
classed with Godetias. 

O. grandijlara, — Great-flowered Evening Primrose, — is a 
handsome border annual, with yellow flowers, from July to 
October. Four feet high. A native of North America. 

O. noclurna. — Night-smelling Primrose. — An elegant half- 
hardy biennial from the Cape of Good Hope. Flowers pro- 
fusely the first season, and may be considered and treated in 
open air culture as a hardy annual, having a succession of 
yellow flowers from July to October. Two feet high. 

O. tetraptera. — White-flowered Evening Primrose. — A 
very beautiful prostrate-growing, hardy annual from Mexico. 
One foot high, with a succession of pure white flowers from 
July to September, which make their appearance after the sun 
has descended the horizon, and perish before it rises in the 
morning. 

O. longiflora, an elegant biennial, if the roots can be pre- 
served through the winter, but generally cultivated as an 
annual, with uncommonly large and showy yellow flowers from 
July to October. A native of Buenos Ayres. Three feet high. 



PAPAVER. 

Poppy. 

"And the poppies red, 
Oa their wistful bed, 
Turn up their dark blue eyes to thee." 

Papaver Thceas. — Corn Poppy, or African Kose. — The spe- 
cific name is from Greek, signifying to flow or fall, in allusion 
to the quickly perishable nature of the flowers. It is a common 
Aveed among grain on gravelly soils in England ; but, in its 
double and semi-double varieties, it is one of the handsomest 
of garden annuals ; sporting in a thousand difierent varieties 
of scarlet, crimson, purple, pink, white, variegated, and parti- 



204 breck's book of flowers. 

colored flowers, and continuing all the summer in bloom. It is 
frequently known by the name of the African Eose. The odor 
of the flower renders it unpopular; nothing can exceed the 
beauty and delicacy of the flower. 

P. somniferum. — Opium Poppy. — The true Opium Poppy 
has very large capsules. The flowers are white, of extra size. 
Another variety has dull-purple flowers. The double varieties 
are handsome, and, were it not for their bad odor and sleepy 
properties, would be more highly appreciated in the flower- 
garden. A bed of full double Poppies, of scarlet, crimson, 
purple, white and variegated, makes a grand show. 

Picotee Poppies are improved varieties with white flowers, 
spotted or splashed with crimson or scarlet, and very hand- 
some. All the varieties are easily cultivated. None of them 
can be transplanted with success. , 



PETUNIA. 

Pehinia PJwenicia. — An ever-blooming hardy annual, now 
well known, but not many years an inhabitant of our flower- 
gardens. Flowers purple ; from June to November. 

P. nictagynafiora has large white flowers, coarser in its 
growth than the last, but of the same spreading habit. 

From these two species have been produced innumerable 
improved varieties, which can be perpetuated only by cuttings 
or layers, and kept in the green-house through the winter. 
Seedlings will vary essentially from the parent plant. 

These varieties are various shades of white, rose or light- 
purple, beautifully veined, striped or shaded with crimson or 
purple, with dark throats. 

Single plants should be trained to a trellis or frame-work, 
and will grow three or four feet high. Planted in masse.-, 
they present an ever-blooming, beautiful sight. The plants 
are repulsive to the smell, and unpleasant to the touch, as the 
stems and leaves are covered with a viscid substance. 



PHLOX PIIASEOLUS TLATYSTEBION. 205 



PHLOX. 

The only annual Phlox with which we are acquainted is 
Phlox Drummo7idii, and this, in all its varieties, is worthy of a 
place in every garden. It is perfectly hardy. When planted 
in masses, no plant is more showy. The varieties are scarlet, 
crimson, purple, white, and pink, variegated with all inter- 
mediate shades. 

It grows about one foot high. To have a constant bloom of 
this beautiful flower all the season, seed should be sown in 
autumn, in the hot-bed in April, and in the open ground in 
June. If the plants are put out six inches distant from each 
other, they will form a compact mass, and amply repay all the 
care and trouble of cultivation. 

The plants are low and spreading, about one foot high. 



PHASEOLUS. 

Phaseolus multiflorus. — Scarlet-flowering Bean. — This is 
a popular climbing annual, with spikes of showy scarlet flow- 
ers, and a variety with white flowers. They are extensively 
cultivated to cover arbors, walls, or to form screens, for which 
purpose they are admirably adapted, on account of their vigor- 
ous and rapid growth. 

Plant the beans the middle of May. 



PLATYSTEMON. 

Platystemon Californicus. — It is a hardy annual, of con- 
siderable beauty, growing in any light, loamy soil, and readily 
increased by seeds, which it perfects freely in the open border. 

It is one of the many interesting discoveries of Mr. Douglass, 
to whom our collections are indebted for its introduction. 
18 



206 BRECK's book of FL0WER3 

Platystemon linear e. — Linear-leaved Platy ;mon. — One of 
the prettiest of all little annuals, with its grao' ml cups of white 
and yellow, resembling those of a Ranunculus, but far more gay. 

It is a native of California, where it was originally found by 
Douglass, who, hoAvever, sent home no seed. 



PORTULACCA. 

Every person who has had any experience in the garden is 
too well acquainted wath the weed Purslane, or Pursly, and 
would gladly see an extermination, not only of that plant, 
but all its kindred. It is indeed a troublesome weed ; but no 
one should be condemned because he happens to have bad 
relations, nor should Portulacca splendens, although a splendid 
Purslane. In speaking of it we leave off the Purslane, and call 
it the Splendid Portulacca, for, were its family connections gen- 
erally known, we should fear it might not receive the attention 
it deserves ; for, truly, it is a great acquisition to the flower- 
garden, and no plant presents a more brilliant show than this, 
when planted in masses. The flowers are rosy-crimson, large 
and beautiful, opening with the bright morning sun. It makes 
a rich bed from July to October. The plant is dwarf and trail- 
ing ; leaves small ; about six inches high. All the other 
varieties have the same habit, and equally beautiful. 

Forlulaccathellusoni, — Scarlet Portulacca, — is exactly like 
the last, with brilliant scarlet flowers. 

Portulacca, var. lutea, — the same, with fine yellow flowers, 
and brown centre. 

Portulacca, var. alba, — the same, with white flowers, often 
sporting to white with pink stripes ; all the varieties ire per- 
fectly hardy, sowing themselves in autumn ; only requiring to 
be thinned out in the spring, or transplanted to beds or wher- 
ever wanted. 



RESEDA KHODANTHE— SALPIGLOSSIS. 207 

RESEDA. 

Mig7i07iette. 

" No gorgeous flowers the meek Reseda grace, 
Yet sip with eager trunk yon busy race 
Her simple cup, nor heed the dazzling gem 
That beams in Fritillaria's diadem." 

Reseda odorata. — Common Mignonette. — This fragrant 
hardy annual is too well known to need any description. A 
bed of it should be found in every garden. It continues to 
bloom and send forth its sweetness all the season, perfuming 
the whole region about the premises. Self-sown plants begin 
to produce flowers in June. The plants are in great demand 
in and about London and other great cities, being sold in pots 
and in bouquets. Some idea of the extent of its cultivation 
may be derived from the fact, which I heard from a creditable 
London seedsman, that he alone sold a ton and a half of the 
seed yearly. 

RHODANTHE. 

Rhodanthe Manglesii. — A most delightful plant, from the 
new English colony at Swan River; it is one of the tribe called 
everlasting, from its remaining perfect throughout the winter, 
if gathered when in bloom, and resembles the Helichrysum. A 
plant exliibited at a meeting of the London Horticultural 
Society, measured from eighteen inches to two feet in height, 
and was covered with hundreds of open flowers, and expanded 
rosy buds ; it remained in blossom three months. 



SALPIGLOSSIS. 



Salpiglossis, from two Greek words, signifying a trumpet 
and a tongue, in allusion to the tubular, yet tongue-shaped, ex- 
tremity of the style. 



208 breck's book of flowers. 

The genus contains many varieties of ornamental plants, 
originally from Chili. 

In their native habitats they are perennials ; but here a bien- 
nial in the green-house, or a tender annual in the open air. 
They succeed finely if the plants are started in a frame, flower- 
ing in July and August ; from one and a half to two feet high. 

Salpiglossis atropurpiirea is extremely beautiful; being 
altogether of a fine, rich, dark-velvety puce color. The flowers 
of all the varieties are funnel-shaped, something after the fash- 
ion of the Petunia, but not so broad. 

S. straminea has pure yellow flowers. 

S. Barclayana and hylrida are iron-brown, and yellow 
veined with brown. 

S. sinuata, flowers dark blood color, veined or striped. S. 
picta has beautiful striped flowers. 

The best soil is a mixture of loam and sand, enriched with 
rotted horse-manure and a little leaf mould. In a heavy gar- 
den soil it will not succeed so well. 

The green-house is the proper situation for this pretty flower. 



SCABIOSA. 

Scabious. 

" The Scabious lilooms in sad array, 
A mourner in her spring." 

Scabiosa atropurpurea. — Mourning Bride. — A hardy orna- 
mental plant, suitable for the border ; it may be sown any time 
in May, and will produce its flowers from July to October; two 
feet high. There is a great variety in the flowers of different 
plants ; some of them are almost black ; others a dark puce 
purple, and various shades, down to lilac; they are produced in 
heads. 



SCHIZANTHUS — SCHIZOPETALON. 209 



SCHIZANTHUS. 

Schizanthus, from Greek words to cut, and a flower, in 
allusion to the numerous divisions of its beautiful purple and 
yellow flowers. Tender annual plants, with finely cut pale- 
green leaves and terminal panicles of elegant flowers. 

Schizanthus pinnatus, — Pinnate-leaved Schizanthus, — is one 
of the most common species, from which a number of beautiful 
and improved seedlings have been produced. 

All the varieties are very pretty in the open ground, and 
bloom most of the season, but are much injured by the sun or 
severe rains. They can only be brought to the highest state 
of perfection when grown in pots in the green-house, where 
they can be made to attain the height of three or four feet, — 
in the open ground about two feet ; from August to October. 
The varieties are hu7nilis, porrige7is, retusus, Hookerii, Priestii 
and Grahamii. 



SCHIZOPETALON. 

Schizopetalon Walkeri. — Walker's Schizopetalon. — This 
is a singular plant, about one foot high, with curious white 
flowers ; the segments of the corolla are finely cut into many 
feathery divisions. The flowers are very frail, being soon 
spoiled by the sun. 

This remarkable plant is a native of Chili, whence it was 
originally introduced by the late Mr. Walker, in 1821. It is 
a hardy annual, thriving best in a light, sandy soil, and is 
increased by seeds, which it however perfects but sparingly, 
and that only in dry and warm summers. To hasten their 
growth, and thereby insure the maturing of seeds, the young 
plants should be raised in a frame, and planted out in a sunny 
border about the middle of May. 

The flowers are very fragi-ant, especially in the evening. 
18^ 



210 breck's book of flowers. 



SPHCENOGYNE. 

Sphcenogyne speciosa. — This is a most beautiful flowering 
annual, growing about a foot high. The plant is of handsome 
foliage, and a most profuse bloomer. The flowers open fully 
when the sun shines upon them, and then display a show of 
the most pleasing kind. It is in bloom from June to October. 
A bed of it would be a delightful contrast to one of an opposite 
color. It has some resemblance to the Calliopsis ; rays, yel- 
low ; disk dark-brown ; flowers about two and a half inches 

across. 

— • — 

SENECIO. 

Senecio elegans. — Ragwort, or Double Groundsel. — There 
are four kinds of this plant, viz., double red, double crimson, 
double white and double flesh-colored. Each of these kinds 
will make a most handsome bed. The plant is very pretty in 
its foliage, grows freely and most profusely ; scarcely anything 
surpassing it for a neat and handsome show. It will grow about 
eighteen inches high, and continue in bloom from June to the 
end of the season. The soil I grow it in very successfully is 
fresh loam, mixed with leaf mould, and about eight inches deep, 
upon a dry subsoil. I find that when the soil is much enriched, 
the plant has a tendency to produce too much foliage ; but, 
grown in turf, loam, &c., as above stated, an amazing produc- 
tion of bloom is the result. The plant is readily increased by 
slips, scarcely one in a hundred failing to grow. It is also 
raised from seed ; but few of the plants will produce double 
flowers. 



SILEXE. 

Catch-Fly. 

This is a large family of plants, many- of them mere weeds, 
whiie others are handsome flowers, suitable for the garden. 



TAGETES. 211 

Silene armeria. — Lobel's Catch-fly. — A very hardy annual, 
with dense umbels of pink, and another variety with white 
flowers, from June to October ; one and a half foot high. 

Silene compacta. — Compact-flowered. — Another beautiful 
species similar to the last, except the flowers are more crowded 
in the umbel. 

Silene pendula. — Pendulous-flowered. — A dwarf, bushy 
habit ; pink flowers, from June to September. 

Having the plants once in the ground, there will always be 
a plenty of self-sown seeds in the spring. 



TAGETES. 

Marigold. 

Tagetes patula. — French Marigold. — A well-known ten- 
der annual ; one of the old-fashioned flowers ; deservedly 
popular, from the brilliancy and variegation of its flowers. 

Some of the improved varieties are exceedingly beautiful, 
particularly the fine varieg-ated sorts, of a rich velvety brown 
and yellow, distinctly striped or shaded with brown on yellow 
ground. All the varieties of this and the following species are 
prone to degenerate, even when the seed is saved from the 
most perfect flowers ; great care must therefore be taken to pull 
up every plant with single or inferior flowers as soon as it 
appears. 

Tagetes erecta. — African Marigold. — The large double 
varieties of this species are very rich. The colors from a pale 
citron -yellow to deep orange. 

There are also varieties intermediate between T. patula and 
this species, which are also very fine. The seed may be sown 
any time in May. The plants should be transplanted, when 
large enough, into patches of five or six plants each ; all inferior 
sorts should be pulled up as soon as the flowers appear ; one plant 
being sufficient for one place, which, if tied up to a stick and 



213 breck's book of flowers. 

trimmed occasionally, will give good satisfaction; flowering 
from July till the frost kills it in autumn. 



THUNBERGIA. 

Thunbergia alata. — Winged-petioled Thunbergia. — Hand- 
some climbing green-house perennial, but succeeds well as an 
annual, from seed sown in the open ground the last of May, 
growing five or six feet high, with numerous buff-colored flow- 
ers, with dark throat, from July to October. 

Thunbergia alata, var. alba. — White-flowered, winged- 
petioled Thunbergia. — This is a very showy variety of T. alata, 
differing in no respect except color. The plant is highly orna- 
mental, and, being easily multiplied by cuttings, it has already 
become common. Like the other variety it is often treated as 
a stove plant, but it succeeds better in the conservatory or green- 
house, and, if planted in a warm, sunny border, it will grow and 
blossom freely during the summer months. A soil composed 
of peat and loam is that which suits it best. 

The genus was dedicated by the younger Linnaeus to his 
friend and successor, Thunberg, an indefatigable botanical 
traveller. 

Thunbergia alata, var, aurantica. — Orange-flowered. — This 
is another beautiful variety, requiring the same treatment. 
Plants forwarded in pots, in a frame, succeed better than those 
sown in the open ground. There are other improved varieties, 
all fine. The plants throw out many lateral branches, and will 
require training to a trellis or frame-work. 



TEOP-SIOLUM. 

Nasturtium, — Indian Cress. 

TropcBolum, from tropceum, a trophy. — The leaf resembles a 
buckler, and the flower an empty helmet, of which trophies 
were formed. 



VERBENA. 213 

TropcBolum peregrinum. — Canary Bird flower. — This is a 
beautiful climber, known as the Canary Bird flower. The 
charming little canary-colored blossoms, when half expanded, 
have a pretty and fanciful likeness to little birds. The plant, 
like the type of the genus, has a fine, luxuriant, rambling char- 
acter. It succeeds best in a light soil. If the seeds are planted 
in April or May, by the side of a trellis or arbor, they will soon 
cover considerable space, and produce its curious, lively flowers 
from July till the severe frosts of autumn destroy it. In rich, 
heavy soil it runs very much to vine, and produces its flowers 
very sparingly. The foliage is similar to the common species, 
but much more delicate. 

Tropceolum majus. — Nasturtium. — This is a well known 
ornamental annual, of easy cultivation. It flowers best in a 
light soil. It looks well trained to a trellis, or over a wall. 
The flowers are rich orange, shaded with crimson and various 
colors ; the variety with crimson or blood-colored flowers makes 
a fine contrast with the orange. The seeds are used as a sub- 
stitute for capers, and the flowers sometimes eaten as salads. 



VEEBENA. 

Loudon says, it is a genus of weedy plants, which was in 
fact the case before the introduction of Yerheim cham<xdrifolia. 
with the exception of the Verbena aithletia, and Lamberiii. 

Verbena chavKBdrifolia, Germander-leaved. — Synonym. V. 
Melindres, Scarlet-flowered Vervain. — This plant is a native 
of Buenos Ayres, growing through a very extensive tract of 
country. The dazzling, brilliant, scarlet flowers cannot be 
exceeded by any other plant yet introduced into this country; 
and blooming from May to November, in the open air, with us, 
makes it one of the most desirable plants in cultivation. 

From the above species have been raised innumerable splen- 
did varieties, of every color and tint, excepting yellow and blue. 
Some varieties are of a bluish-purple, ruby-purple, lilac and 



214 breck's book of flowers. 

dark-purple, rose, scarlet, crimson, white, white with red eye, 
scarlet with purple eye, rosy with red eye, shaded, striped, &c.; 
in fact, every shade of the colors named. The habits of all are 
similar, naturally prostrate creeping plants, taking root freely 
wherever the stems come in contact with the ground, and send- 
ing forth innumerable clusters of their many-hued, brilliant 
flowers from May to November. 

It is kept with difficulty through the winter, except in rooms 
or in the green-house. In the cellar the roots soon perish ; nor 
are any of them quite hardy enough to stand the winter. 

They are all so easily raised from cuttings that they can be 
obtained at any green-house, for about two dollars a dozen for 
small plants, which, when turned into the ground in June, soon 
make large plants, and by October will be three feet across. 
They continue to flower after severe frosts, and are among the 
last lingering flowers of autumn. 

They flower from seed sown in the open ground, in May, the 
same season, commencing their bloom in August. Seedling 
plants produce seed in abundance, but those that have been a 
long time propagated from cuttings lose that power in a great 
measure. There is no end to the variety from seedling plants. 
To have them come early in flower, the seed may be brought 
forward in the frame. No plant equals the Verbena for masses, 
particularly when grown in beds cut out on lawns, as the bril- 
liancy of the flowers contrasts finely with the green grass. 



VIOLA. 



Viola tricolor has already been treated of as a biennial or 
perennial ; it may also be considered as an annual, as it flowers 
finely the first year. — See page 157. 



ZERANTHEMUM — ZINNIA. 215 



ZERANTHEMUM. 

Zeranthenmm, from Greek words signifying dry and a 
flower, on account of the dry nature of the leaves of the calyx, 
which retain their color and form for many years. 

Zeranthemum annum, — Purple Everlasting, — and a variety 
with white flowers, are popular border annuals, of easy culture 
in light, rich soil. Like the Helichrysums, they are valued for 
their properties of retaining their colors and form, when 
gathered and dried, and much prized in forming winter bou- 
quets for vases, &c. 



ZINNIA. 

Handsome border annual plants, requiring the same cultiva- 
tion as the Marigold. 

Zinnia elegans, with its varieties, are all handsome flowering 
plants ; in bloom from July to October ; two or three feet high. 
The colors of some of the varieties are very brilliant, and par- 
ticularly the scarlets. The colors are white, pale to dark yellow, 
orange to scarlet; shades from rose to crimson, from crim- 
son to light purple, lilac, &c. The flowers are handsome 
when it first commences the process of blooming ; the cen- 
tral, or disk part of it, which contains the florets, as they -begin 
to form seed, assume a conic shape, and a brown, husky appear- 
ance, which gives the flower a coarse, unsightly look. 



DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF HAEDY SHRUBS AND LOW TREES, 
SUITABLE FOR THE SHRUBBERY. 



MSCVLTJS. 
Horse Chestnut. 

The common Horse Chestnut is a well known ornamental 
tree, of rapid growth ; beautiful when in blossom, it being cov- 
ered with spikes of delicate white or pink flowers, which are 
produced from its elegant digitate leaves. 

There are some of the species which make a beautiful show 
in shrubberies, when in flower in the spring. They flourish in 
any soil and situation. The M. discolor seldom grows above 
six feet high, and, therefore, will stand pretty forward. 2B. 
carnea, from sixteen to twenty feet. J5. rubicunda, from ten to 
twelve ; and ^. pavia, from six to eight. The different sorts 
are easily propagated by grafting, and may all be united on the 
common kind. No plants are better calculated for shrubberies ; 
for, although they are deciduous, the variation in foliage from 
the ordinary shrubs has a charming effect. 



ACUBA, 



Acuba japonica. — Gold-Dust Tree. — This is an evergreen 
shrub, having large, handsome foliage, with golden spots or 
blotches. In this climate it is somewhat tender, particularly 
when young. 



AMORPHA — AMELANCHIER. 217 



AMORPHA. 

Indigo Shrub. 

Amor'pha, from Greek words denoting the deformity of the 
corolla. 

Aviorpha futicosa. — Bastard Indigo. — This shrub is a 
native of South Carolina, and once used in that State as an 
indigo plant, but now neglected. It is an ornamental shrub, 
about six feet high, with spikes of purplish flowers in July. It 
is of easy cultivation, and propagated by seeds or cuttings. 



AMELANCHIER. 
Shad Bush. 

This is a genus of ornamental shrubs, or small trees, of which 
one or two species are conspicuous ornaments of our woods and 
swamps in May. Mr. Emerson, in his " Trees of Massachu- 
setts," says, that " There are two remarkable distinct varieties of 
A. canadensis, or Swamp Pyrus, of Torrey and Gray, found in 
Massachusetts. Both are called the Shad Bush, from flower- 
ing when the shad begin to ascend the streams. The first is 
called, 

" A. botryapium, — or June Berry. — This is a small, grace- 
ful tree, from fifteen to twenty feet high, with a few slender, 
distant branches, usually growing in upland woods. It has 
large white flowers, in pendulous racemes, expanding about 
the first of May, or a little later, according to the season,* just 
as the leaves are beginning to open, with small, purple or faint 
crimson bracts at the base of the partial flower-stalks, and often 
near the flowers. The union of the crimson or purple of the 
scales and stipules with the pure white flowers, and the glossy, 
' silken, scattering pairs of the opening leaves, give delicate 
beauty to this early, welcome promise of the woods. 

*'^. ovalis. — Swamp Sugar Pear. — This is a smaller tree 
19 



218 breck's book of flowers. 

than the preceding, but sometimes rises twelve or fifteen feet 
high. It is usually, however, a shrub." 

The general appearance of both is similar, but it appears 
that there are botanical distinctions sufficient to arrange them 
in two species. They are deserving a place in every shrub- 
bery. 

A. sanguinea, — or Scarlet-wooded Amelanchier, — bears a 
strong resemblance to the Snowy Mespilus, and is very orna- 
mental. It seldom grows over four feet. 

A. Jlorida. — This species bears a good deal of resemblance 
to the sanguhiea, except in the racemes of flowers, which are 
produced after the manner of the bird-cherry. 



AMYGDALUS. 

Amygdahis, — the Greek name for the Almond. The 
species are fruit-trees, or ornamental trees and shrubs, much 
esteemed for the gay color and early appearance of their 
flowers. 

A. Fersica plena, — Double-flowering Peach, — is very 
beautiful in the shrubbery. The flowers are large and full, 
like small roses. There is a white and pink variety. Unless 
the trees are kept headed down, or pruned in well, they become 
straggling and unsightly. Particular attention should there- 
fore be paid to this point. 

A. pumila plena. — Double Dwarf Almond. — This is a 
beautiful dwarf shrub, loaded in the spring with its elegant 
flowers, resembling small roses. It is not inferior to any shrub 
whatever, when in blossom, and makes a fine appearance in the 
shrubbery ; easily propagated by suckers. 

A most beautiful way of growing it is by budding it upon 
the plum stock. In this way it is much more hardy than 
,when grown on its own roots. Thus a magnificent head may 
,^e formed, at any distance from the ground that may be 
desired. The Double Peach may also be budded on plum 



AMPELOPSIS. 219 

stocks, and, properly pruned, will make a great show when in 
flower. 



AMPELOPSIS. 

Virginian Creeper. 

Ampelopsis qumquefolia. — American Woodbine. — " This 
is the most ornamental plant of its genus. It recommends 
itself by its hardiness, the rapidity of its growth, and the luxu- 
riance and beauty of its foliage. It is a native of our woods, 
and climbs rocks and trees to a great height. In cultivation it 
is often made to cover walls of houses, forty or fifty feet high, 
clinging by rootlets which proceed from its tendrils. The 
flower is of a reddish-green, and not showy, which is suc- 
ceeded by clusters of dark-blue, nearly black, berries when 
mature. At the same period the fruit-stalks and tendrils 
assume a rich crimson or red color. 

" The great variety of rich colors, shades of scarlet, crim- 
son, and purple, which the leaves and stems of this plant 
assume, and the situations in which we see it, climbing up the 
trunks and spreading along the branches of trees, covering 
walls and heaps of stones, forming natural festoons from tree 
to tree, or trained on the sides and along the piazzas of dwell- 
ing-houses, make it one of the conspicuous ornaments of the 
autumnal months. Often, in October, it may be seen mingling 
its scarlet and orange leaves, thirty or forty feet from the 
ground, with the green leaves of the still unchanged tree on 
which it climbed." — [Emerson.) 

This luxuriant climber is easily propagated by layers and 
cuttings. It flourishes best in a rich, moist soil. 

Examples of the surprising luxuriance of this plant may be 
seen on a number of dwelling houses in Beacon street, Boston, 
and on many other buildings in that city. 



220 breck's book of flowers. 



ANDROMEDA. 



Andromeda. — Named in allusion to the virgin, Andromeda, 
who, like this plant, was confined in a marsh, and surrounded 
by the monsters of the water. 

The species are neat plants, and some of them considerable 
shrubs; all requiring a moist situation and peat earth. 

A. polifolia. — Water Andromeda. — This beautiful little 
shrub is from twelve to eighteen inches high, found in wet, 
mossy bogs, in various parts of the state, and to the extreme 
north of this continent. The flowers are red before they open, 
but, when fully expanded, of a rosy hue. It flowers in June. 

There are a great number of North American species, which 
might be introduced into the shrubbery with good effect. 
Most of them are dwarfs, and succeed well with the same 
treatment that is given to the Azalea. 

A. speciosa and all its varieties are very beautiful, and flower 
in great profusion, and continue in leaf nearly the whole year, 
although they are not, strictly, evergreen shrubs. They grow 
about three feet high. 

They are all propagated by seed, layers, or cuttings. 



ARISTOLO CHI A. 

Birth-wort. 

Aristolochia sipho. — Pipe Vine. — A singular climbing 
plant, with handsome, broad foliage, with brownish purple, and 
very curious, somewhat pipe-shaped flowers. It grows fifteen 
or twenty feet high; blooms in June and July; propagated 
from layers and cuttings. It flourishes in any good, strong 
soil. 



AZALEA. 

This is a genus of highly ornamental shrubs, of which 
many species are indigenous. 



AZALEA. 221 

The only species common in the vicinity of Boston is A. vis- 
cosa, which may be found in abundance among the brush-wood 
in low grounds, and is much admired for the fragrance of its 
flowers, which are produced in terminal, umbel-like corymbs ; 
mostly pure white, but sometimes varying to blush or varie- 
gated ; hairy and glutinous on the outside ; stamens longer than 
the corolla, which in all the species is bell or funnel form, 
terminating in five unequal segments. 

As we advance further into the interior, thirty or forty miles, 
the beautiful A. nudiflora occasionally presents itself to the 
enraptured traveller, tempting him for a while to forget the 
objects of his journey, and admire the elegance and fragrance 
of its flowers. This, as well as A. viscosa, is called by the 
country people Swamp Pink, probably on account of the odor 
of the flowers, which has some resemblance to the Garden 
Pink. By them they are eagerly sought after, and form a con- 
spicuous part of the decoration of the mantel-piece, in its sea- 
son, the month of June. The color is commonly a fine pink, 
varying to a deep red, which is rare. Their beauty is much 
increased by the length of the thread-like stamens, being much 
longer than the corolla, which is naked or destitute of a calyx, 
from which its specific name is given, midiflora, or naked- 
flowered. 

There are as many as a dozen indigenous species, besides 
many varieties to be found in different parts of our country ; all 
handsome, and worthy the attention of the florist. 

" The Azalea is a well-known plant throughout Belgium, 
and forms one of the most splendid decorations of the flower- 
garden. It is generally considered to be the most beautiful 
genus of the flowering shrubs. The neat form and bushy 
growth, the vast profusion of its flowers, the extensive variety 
and splendor of colors in the flowers, their appearance at a 
season when few other flowers are in bloom, and the little 
trouble which the plant requires when grown in a suitable soil 
and a good situation, all combine to cause the plant to be much 
19* 



222 beeck's book op flowers. 

admired, sought after, and introduced into nearly every pleas- 
ure-ground in Belgium. 

" The varieties of this handsome genus are very numerous, 
and have been raised in a short period. Twenty years since, 
there were only a very few moderate species, having small, 
insignificant flowers." Now there are many varieties, with 
brilliant flowers, in large clusters, continuing through the 
month of June. The colors are white, yellow, orange, scarlet, 
and pink, with every intermediate shade. 

Notwithstanding the exceeding beauty of this tribe of 
shrubs, and their perfect hardiness, they are rarely to be seen 
in our gardens. 

Azaleas require a moist, peaty soil, or black, sandy loam, 
and rather shady situation. Plants may be freely raised from 
seed, or from layers and suckers. 

If taken from the woods, the best way is to cut them off" 
close to the ground. They will throw up numerous shoots, 
and form fine healthy plants. 



BERBERIS. 

Barberry. 

Many of the species are cultivated in the gardens of Europe 
on account of the beauty of their fruit, flowers, or foliage. 

Some few species are known among us, but none prettiei 
than our common Barberry, or Berberis vulgaris. This shrub 
is too common in the vicinity of Boston ; but where it is not 
found growing in such profusion, it will most assuredly be 
found a valuable addition to the shrubbery. 

" Every one who is an observer of nature, must have been 
struck, in June, with the beauty of the arching, upper shoots 
of the barberry, springing from a mass of rich green, and sus- 
taining numerous, pendent racemes of splendid yellow flowers. 
It is hardly less attractive when its blossoms have been sue- 



BIGNONIA. 223 

ceeded by clusters of scarlet fruit. The Barberry is a bush 
usually four or five, but often seven or eight, feet high." 

It has often been said, and very generally believed, that Bar- 
berry bushes were prejudicial to rye, causing it to blast ; but 
this has not been our experience, having grown heavy crops 
of rye in fields with Barberry bushes on all sides of it. 

B. dulcis is more dwarf in its habits, the foliage more deli- 
cate, and almost evergreen ; the flowers dark-orange, scattered 
along the branches, among the foliage. It is a very pretty 
plant, and makes a handsome hedge, AH the species are 
easily propagated by suckers. 



BIGNONIA. 
Trumpet Flower. 

The species are trees or shrubs, inhabitants of hot climates. 
The flowers are produced in panicles, and are large, handsome, 
and of various colors. The hardy species will grow in almost 
any good soil, and easily propagated by layers or cuttings of 
the root, 

Big7wnia radicans. — Scarlet Trumpet Flower. — This is a 
magnificent climbing plant, producing large, trumpet-shaped, 
orange-scarlet flowers, of great beauty, from July to October. 
They are produced in clusters ; handsome in bud, as well as 
when fully expanded, which, Avhen contrasted with the elegant 
glossy, pinnate foliage, presents a most splendid sight when 
trained to a pillar or trellis. 

The plant is a little tender in some locations, and will do 
best to be laid down and covered over, or secured with straw 
or mats. 

This is the only species generally cultivated, in this neigh- 
borhood, in the open air. B. grandiflora will succeed in a 
more southern climate, and perhaps at the north with some 
protection. 



224 breck's book of flowers. 

BUXUS. 

£ox. 

Buxus sempervirem. — Garden Box. — This is a delicate 
shrub, which may be pruned to any shape to please the fancy. 
It is an evergreen, and easily propagated by cuttings. It is in 
general use, and the best material for forming edgings to beds, 
walks, &c. Plants may be trained singly into almost any 
shape, and will make large shrubs, in some locations. It is nec- 
essary to plant Box for shrubs in a shady place, which will gen- 
erally require to be matted in the winter. There are varieties 
with yellow and white striped leaves, called the gold and silver 
striped. There are a number of species, among which are the 
Dwarf and Tree Box. The last kind is suitable for the shrub- 
bery, as it will grow and thrive well under the drip of trees. 



CATALPA. 

Catalpa syringifolia. — This is a North American shrub, or 
tree, from the south-west and south. It has large, handsome, 
white, variegated flowers, in clusters, in July, that are suc- 
ceeded by long seed-vessels, having some resemblance to bean- 
pods. The leaves are large and luxuriant, coming out very 
late. If planted in a warm, sheltered place, it will flower 
finely when it has become ten or twelve feet high, although its 
ordinary height is twenty feet or more. It makes a vigorous, 
succulent growth, which is very often winter-killed. The tree is 
not very regular in its growth, but, when planted among other 
trees, or shrubs, it makes a fine appearance. 



CALYCANTHUS, 



All this genus are natives of North America. They are 
very easy of culture, growing freely in peat or loam, or both. 



CAPRIFOLIUM. 225 

mixed. The flowers are dark-brown color, and very fragrant, 
resembling the odor of ripe melons. The wood is also very 
fragrant. 

Calycanthus florida. — Carolina Allspice. — This is a well- 
known species, from three to five feet high, flowering from 
June to August. There are also a number of other species, 
but all nearly resemble the last, except in height and the style 
of the leaves. C.fertalis has glaucous leaves; C. Icevigatus 
smooth leaves ; both about three feet high ; all easily propa- 
gated from suckers or layers. 



CAPRIFOLIUM. 
Honeysuckle. 

A beautiful genus, of well-known climbing shrubs, growmg 
from fifteen to twenty feet high, some of them producing their 
flowers in succession through all the summer and autumnal 
months. They are all valuable for pillars, arbors, trellises, &c. 

Many of the species are natives of North America ; among 
them is the splendid Scarlet Trumpet Honeysuckle, a native 
of the Southern States, but found to be hardy here, and in gen- 
eral cultivation. Its trumpet-shaped flowers are produced in 
clusters, of a rich scarlet without, and orange within ; in bloom 
from June to October. 

Caprifolium fiavum. — Yellow Trumpet Monthly Honey- 
suckle. — This is also a native of the South, but long cultivated 
in Europe, and from thence introduced here. This continues 
to bloom all the season. 

C. sempervirens. — Evergreen Scarlet Monthly Honeysuckk. 
— This is also a native of North America, perfectly hardy 
here ; the foliage is evergreen ; the flowers trumpet-shaped, of 
a rich scarlet without, tinged with orange within. The plant' 
grows rapidly, throws out a multitude of branches, and has a 
singularly rich appearance, from the deep-green of its leaves 
and the splendor of its scarlet flowers. 



22S. breck's book of flowers. 

C. kirsuta. — Hairy Honeysuckle. — This is a native of 
Massachusetts, found on damp, rocliy banks, often growing to 
the height of fifteen to thirty feet ; the flowers are of a pale- 
yellow without, hairy, and of a rich orange within ; flowers, 
June and July. 

C. peridymenum. — Woodbine. — This is a vigorous-grow- 
ing English species; flowers pale-yellow, in June; highly 
fragrant. 

The variety lelgicwn, or Dutch Sweet-scented Honeysuckle, 
is a well-known fragrant climber, giving a profusion of bloom 
in June, which emits a delightful odor to all the neighborhood; 
flowers yellow, variegated with red or purple. 

The Dutch Monthly Sweet-scented Honeysuckle is another 
variety, with flowers somewhat like the last, but are produced 
in succession through the summer and autumn, until hard 
frosts. The buds, before they expand, are of a dark-red, or 
purple. When the flower opens, the interior is pure white, 
which changes to a cream color, and from that to an orange, 
giving the cluster a variegated and rich appearance. A vari- 
ety has oak-shaped leaves, 

C. Jlexuosum, or Chinese Honeysuckle. — A very desirable 
variety, with evergreen leaves, and delicate flowers through the 
season ; stem flexuous and twining. Like many others of the 
Chinese plants, it readily supports the rigor of our winters, and, 
blooming with an exhaustless profusion, presents, from May 
till late in autumn, rich wreaths of flowers, various in tint, 
and of an exquisite orange-flower perfume. 

The buds are purple ; as they expand, the spotless white of 
its gaping corolla is exhibited, with its protruding stamens 
tipped with yellow anthers. On exposure to the air, the flowers 
gradually assume a cream-like tint, and, finally, a perfect 
orange color ; and, as they mature in succession from the base 
to the extremity of the branch, the colors are all present on 
the same shoot. The stems and nerves of the leaves are pur- 
ple ; it is nearly evergreen, in rich loam, the growth is luxu- 
riant. 



CEANOTHUS — CELASTRUS. 227 

Some beautiful varieties of the Scarlet Trumpet Honey- 
suckle were imported by us a few years since, that have given 
great satisfaction. One of the finest is C. Jloribunda, having 
clusters of large, trumpet-shaped, orange-scarlet flowers, yel- 
low inside. 

The White Italian Honeysuckle has pale-yellow, almost 
white, flowers. There are many other fine varieties and spe- 
cies of this beautiful tribe, but not much known. 



CEANOTHUS. 

Ceanothus Americanus. — New Jersey Tea. — A delicate, 
flowering, native shrub ; a low and bulby plant, flowering in 
June and July, from one to three feet high, found growing on 
the margin of woods, in dry, sandy soil. The minute white 
flowers are crowded in clusters, and are very pretty. The 
leaves have been used as a substitute for tea. 



CELASTRUS. 

Celastrus scandens. — Wax-work. Climbing Staff". — A strong, 
woody vine, twining around small trees, and over rocks and 
bushes, growing in moist situations and beside stone walls ; 
very ornamental when in fruit. This native climber should be 
introduced into every garden, for the covering of arbors, walls, 
or trellis-work, or to be trained to a pillar in the shrubbery. 

The foliage is handsome, of a deep-green. The flowers are 
white, in panicled clusters, and not remarkable for show. The 
fruit or berries very ornamental. The fruit is a berry, 
enclosed in a round, three-valved capsule, as a walnut is en- 
closed in the hull. When the fruit is ripe, the valves, or hulls, 
turn backward, without falling off", and disclose a berry, of a 
deep-scarlet, finely contrasted with the orange color of the valves. 

It is a very vigorous climber, and will grow from fifteen to 



228 breck's book of flowers. 

twenty feet high. The stem is very slender, rarely more than 
an inch thick. 



CLEMATIS. 

Many of the Clematis are shrubby plants, but have all been 
noticed among the herbaceous tribe. 



CERASUS. 

Cherry. 

The scientific name is derived from a town on the Black 
Sea, from whence this tree was supposed to be introduced. A 
few species, with numerous varieties, produce valuable fruits, 
while nearly all are remarkable for the abundance of their 
early flowers. 

The Double-flowering Cherry, Cerasus communis plena, is a 
very desirable addition to the shrubbery, on account of its im- 
mense number of large, double, pure white flowers, which cover 
the tree in the early part of May. The flowers are like small 
white roses, very full and beautiful. By proper training, it 
can be kept in a low, shrubby state, if desirable. It will grow 
in any garden soil, and is propagated by budding or grafting. 

The Weeping Cherry is formed by budding a delicate 
drooping species of Bird Cherry upon the Mazard stock, at 
any height that may suit the fancy. By inserting a number 
of buds, at the desired height, a large drooping head may be 
formed, which continues to increase in diameter, but not much 
in height. Its pendent branches, covered with delicate foliage, 
are at all times a pleasant sight, but more particularly when 
covered with its profusion of bloom. 

A immber of indigenous species might be introduced into 
the shrubbery, or pleasure-ground, with good effect. 

Cerasus Virgi7iia7ia. — Choke Cherry. — This is an orna- 
mental shrub, interesting, whether in flower or fruit. It grows 



CERCIS CHIONANTHUS. 229 

from two to fifteen feet high. In May it is covered with a 
profusion of white flowers, in dense racemes, and in July and 
August the branches are bent down with a profusion of fruit. 

C. Pemisylvanica. — The Northern Red Cherry, — This is 
a small, slender tree, with delicate foliage, and handsome white 
flowers. The fruit is deep-red, and not very abundant. 

C. scrotina. — The Black Cherry. — This is a well-known 
tree, handsome in flower and fruit. In the shrubbery, it should 
be planted in the background. The only drawback to the 
beauty of this tree, is, that it is peculiarly subject to the rav- 
ages of the caterpillar. They are sure to make this tree their 
favorite home ; and, unless special pains is taken to dislodge 
them early in the season, the tree, for ornamental purposes, is 
utterly spoiled. 



CERCIS. 

Cercis canadensis. — Judas Tree — Eed Bud, — This is a 
curious shrub, or low tree, indigenous to the southern part of 
the United States ; often seen in large collections of plants, in 
gardens in New England. It is curious, from being covered 
with bunches of flowers, of a rose color, before the leaves 
begin to appear. They give a brilliant appearance to the 
whole tree, except at the extremities of the branches. 

The Red Bud is beautiful in the spring, and not without 
interest, in full foliage, in the summer. 



CHIONANTHUS, 

Chionanthus Virgi7iica, or Fringe Tree, — This is a fine 
deciduous shrub, or small tree, sometimes growing twenty feet 
or more high, but flowering when six or eight feet high. It 
has large leaves, six or eight inches long, and from two to three 
inches wide ; the flowers white, in numerous long bunches, and 
have a fringe-like appearance. It is a native of North Amer- 
20 



230 breck's book of flowers. 

ica, and found growing upon the mountains at the South, and is 
very hardy. A light loam suits it well, but propagation is dif- 
ficult. It succeeds when budded or grafted on the ash. 



CLETHRA. 

This genus is composed mostly of American plants, and 
succeeds well when transplanted to the shrubbery. 

Clethra alnifolia. — Alder-leaved Clethra. — A shrub, from 
two to eight feet high, showing a long spike of white fragrant 
flowers, towards the end of summer. It is generally found 
abundantly in wet, boggy places, and by the side of sluggish 
streams. Emerson says : " This beautiful plant may be easily 
cultivated, and is much improved by cultivation, the spikes 
being increased in length, and in the size of the flowers. It 
grows readily in any garden soil, and may be propagated by 
layers or cuttings." 

COLUTEA. 

Bladder Senna. 

Colutea, an ancient name of a bush with sweet-scented 
flowers. The genus includes a number of species of shrubs, 
with yellow or orange, pea-shaped flowers, which are succeeded 
by seed-vessels like bladders. 

C. arborescens grows about ten feet high, with yellow flowers, 
in June and July. C. cruenta, four feet high, with reddish 
flowers ; and C. Pocockii, with dark-yellow flowers. All are 
free growers, and well adapted to introduce into extensive shrub- 
beries. 



CORNUS. 

Cornel — Dogwood. 



Cornus, from cornu, a horn ; the wood being thought to be 
as hard and durable as horn. The larger species of this genus 



CORNUS. 231 

are very ornamental and hardy shrubs, mostly North American 
plants, and are prized, not only for their flowers and berries of 
different colors, but for their green, red, purple, or striped barks, 
which have a fine effect in winter, especially among ever- 
greens. 

Cornus alternifolia. — Alternate-leaved Cornel. — "A beau- 
tiful shrub, six or eight feet high ; sometimes a graceful small 
tree, of fifteen, twenty, or even twenty-five feet high, throwing 
off, at one or more points, several branches, which, slightly 
ascending, diverge, and form nearly horizontal umbrageous 
stages, or flats of leaves, so closely arranged as to give almost 
a perfect shade. Recent shoots, of a shining light-yellowish- 
green, with oblong scattered dots. The older branches, of a 
rich polished green, striped with gray. Flowers in an irregu- 
larly branched head, yellowish-white; fruit, blue-black. A 
beautiful plant, with a variety of character. It grows naturally 
in most woods, or on the sides of hills ; but, when cultivated, 
flourishes in almost any kind of soil, and even in dry situa- 
tions. It flowers in May and June, and the fruit ripens in 
October." 

C. Jlorida. — The Flowering Dogwood. — This species 
is more of a tree than any of those described, and one of the 
most desirable of all the genus. It is a conspicuous object, in 
some of our woods, the last of May. The tree is then loaded 
with a profusion of its large, showy, white flowers, which are 
produced at the ends of the branches. What is generally taken 
for the flower is not in reality such. The flowers are small, and 
without much interest, except to the botanist. Twelve or more 
of them are clustered together in a head, and surrounded by a 
whorl of four large white floral leaves, which constitutes the 
principal beauty of the flower. These floral leaves are nerved, 
somewhat heart-shaped, shaded with flesh color, or purple ; the 
fruit is of a bright-scarlet. 

" The leaves early begin to change to purple, and turn to a 
rich scarlet, or crimson, above, with a light-russet beneath ; or 
to crimson and buff, or orange ground, above, with a glaucous- 



232 breck's book of flowers. 

purple beneath. These, surrounding the scarlet bunches of 
berries, make the tree as beautiful an object, at the close of 
autumn, as it was in the opening summer." 

C. circhiata. — Round-leaved Cornel. — " A spreading shrub, 
usually not erect, from four to six, sometimes eight or ten, feet 
high, with straight, slender, spreading branches. Young shoots, 
green, profusely blotched with purple; old shoots, pale, yellow- 
ish-green, or purplish, thickly dotted with prominent, wart-like 
dots, or sometimes smooth." The flowers white, in roundish, 
spreading, terminal heads, or cymes, in May j fruit blue, turning 
to whitish color ; ripe in October. 

C. stolonifera. — Red-stemmed Cornel. — "A handsome 
plant, conspicuous at all seasons of the year, but especially 
towards the end of winter, for its rich red, almost blood- 
colored stems and shoots. The main stem is usually prostrate 
upon the ground, beneath withered leaves, throwing down 
roots, and sending up slender, erect branches, from five to six 
or eight feet high ; flowers white, in spreading cymose clusters ; 
fruit white, or lead colored." 

C. paniculata. — Panicled Cornel. — A shrub, about six 
feet high, with erect branches, dotted, or speckled. " The 
cymes, or heads of flowers, are very numerous, on long, slen- 
der, pale-yellow stems, with irregular branches." Flowers, 
white, in May and June, succeeded by white fruit, which ma- 
tures in August and September, when the fruit-stalk is of a 
delicate pale-scarlet." 



CRAT^GUS. 

The Thorn. 

In relation to this genus Mr. Emerson remarks: — "It is 
found that a greater variety of beautiful small trees and orna- 
mental shrubs can be formed of the several species of Thorn, 
than of any kind of tree whatever. Thus they give persons, 
whose grounds are not extensive, the means of ornamenting 



CYDONIA. 233 

their grounds with great facility. If trained as trees, they have 
an appearance of singular neatness united with a good degree 
of vigor ; and the readiness with which they are pruned and 
grafted renders them susceptible of almost any shape which the 
fancy of the owner would have them assume. Some of the 
.species, native to Massachusetts, often take, even in a state of 
nature, the shape of handsome low trees. Of these, the 
flowers and foliage have great beauty, and the scarlet haws, 
which remain on into winter, till, ripened by frost, they are 
gathered by the birds, give them additional charms. Into 
these tall species all the others, very various, and many of them 
very beautiful, may be grafted ; and not only thorns, but pears 
and other fruits, may be readily made to grow on the Thorn." 
The four principal species, natives of our State, are, 
Cratcegus coccinnea, Scarlet-fruited Thorn ; C. tomentosa, 
the Pear-leaved Thorn; C. crus-galli, the Cockspur Thorn, 
and C. punctata, the Dotted-fruited Thorn ; — all handsome, 
with white, fragrant flowers, in clusters. 

C. oxyacantJia is the common Hawthorn of England, which 
is also an ornamental shrub, as well as a very important one 
for the formation of hedges. Of this species there are a num- 
ber of beautiful varieties, which should be in every collection, 
viz., rosea, with deep-red flowers ; double -white and double- 
red, which are very beautiful, besides some others not so well 
known. 



CYDONIA. 

Japan Quince. 

Cydonia Japonica, formerly Pyrus Japonica, is indigenous to 
Japan, and embraces two varieties, the scarlet and variegated 
flowering. When in bloom, there is no plant that equals it 
in splendor. The Cydonia may be seen budding and bursting 
into bloom in April. The flowers are in aggregated clusters, 
along the branches, interspersed with the young leaves. The 
20^ 



234 beeck's book of flowers. 

hue of the scarlet color is most brilliant, and no artist can find 
a tint that will convey an adequate idea of its splendor. The 
paler variety is also much admired. The flowers of this are 
of a fine blush, shaded with red, and, when contrasted with the 
other, forms an agreeable relief. The perfect hardiness of the 
shrub, and the brilliancy of the flowers, must ever render it an 
agreeable appendage to the shrubbery, lawn, or flower-garden. 
It is generaly propagated by layering and by suckers. It suc- 
ceeds in any good garden loam. It commences flowering when 
the plants are quite small. It grows from six to eight feet 
high. A writer says : " One of the most pleasing and pictu- 
resque objects we recollect ever to have seen, was a large 
Cydonia, whilst in full bloom, partially imbedded in a late 
snow; the branches weighed down thereby, and the rich, bril- 
liant blossoms, peeping through their chaste covering." 



CTTISUS. 

Laburnum. 

A genus of ornamental trees and shrubs, of which the La- 
burnums are generally Avell known as highly ornamental. 

Cytisus laburnum. — Golden Chain. — A tall and elegant 
shrub, or low tree, which, when in bloom, is laden with long, 
pendulous clusters of golden pea-shaped flowers, similar in 
shape to those of the Robinia, or Acacia. It is exceedingly 
rich and beautiful when in bloom, the last of May and June ; 
grows from ten to thirty feet high. 

The Purple-flowering Laburnum, C. purpurea, has dull- 
purple flowers ; grows three feet high. 

C. leucanthus has cream-colored flowers ; four feet high. The 
Golden Chain is the most desirable of all the species or vaii- 
eties. 

There are many other fine species and varieties, of which 
some of them are low shrubs; all ornamental. 



DAPHNE — DEITTZTA. 235 

DAPHNE. 

Pink Mazereon. 

Daphne mazereon is a handsome shrub ; the flowers come 
out before the leaves, early in the spring ; they grow in clus- 
ters, all round the shoots of the former year, 

" Though leafless, well attired, and thick beset 
With blushing wreaths, investing every spray." 

The flowers are succeeded by brilliant-scarlet berries, which 
are said to be a powerful poison. Another variety, with Avhite 
flowers, has yellow berries. This shrub is in bloom early in 
April. It is sweet-scented ; and, where there are many to- 
gether, they will perfume the air to a considerable distance. 
The best time for transplanting is in the autumn ; because, as 
it begins to vegetate early in the spring, it should not then be 
disturbed. It thrives best in a dry soil ; if it has too much 
wet, it becomes mossy, and stinted in growth, and produces 
fewer flowers. 



DEUTZIA. 

The genus was named by Thunberg, in compliment to John 
Deutz, one of the senators of Amsterdam, a patron of botan)', 
and one of the promoters of the voyage of the former to Japan. 

The genus is nearly related to Philadelphus. A very ele- 
gant shrub, native of Japan and China, and introduced from 
the latter country a few years ago, by Mr. Reeves, to whom 
our gardens are indebted for many other equally interesting 
plants from the same quarter. It is a plant of easy culture, 
being sufficiently hardy to endure our winters in the open air, 
and easily increased both by cuttings and layers. 

During the early part of summer, the Deutzia is covered by 
a profusion of white blossoms, which are highly fragrant. The 
rough leaves of the plant, Thunberg informs us, are employed 



236 breck's book of flowers. 

by the Japanese cabinet-makers for polishing wood, in the 
manner that the stems of the Equisetum hyemale are with us. 



DIERVILLA. 



Diervilla trifida. — Three-flowered Bush Honeysuckle. — 
This is a pretty native shrub, from two to four feet high, with 
handsome opposite leaves, from the axils of which spring three 
yellow, honeysuckle-shaped flowers in July. 



DIRCA. 

Dirca palustris. — Leather "Wood. — This is a much branched 
shrub, from three to six feet high, found in wet, marshy, and 
shady places. It is conspicuous, when in flower in April, for 
the number of yellow blossoms, which fade and fall rapidly as 
the leaves expand. The wood is very pliable, and the bark of 
singular toughness and tenacity. It has such strength that a 
man cannot pull apart so much as covers a branch of half or 
third of an inch in diameter. It is used by millers and others 
for thong-s. The aborigines used it as a cordage. 



EL^AGNUS. 
Oleaster. 

ElcBagnus, from the Greek, an olive ; the tree having a 
striking resemblance to the olive tree. Shrubs, or small trees, 
ten or fifteen feet high. 

E. angustifolia, and E.argentea, are shrubs or low trees, with 
elegant silvery foliage, their only recommendation. 



EPIGjEA — EUONYMUS. 237 

EPIG^A. 

Gromid Laurel. 

The generic name is from Greek words, signifying upo7i the 
earth. The woody, hairy stems grow flat upon the ground, 
and throw out roots all the length of its branches. 

Epigcea repens. — May Flower. — This beautiful, fragrant 
flower is found in many parts of the country, and is worthy of a 
place in the flower-garden ; no doubt it will succeed well when 
grown among shrubs where it will be partially shaded. It is in 
flower in April, It produces delicate flesh-colored or white 
flowers, and sometimes is found with light-red blossoms. Mr. 
Emerson says : " It abounds in the edges of woods, about Plym- 
outh, as elsewhere, and must have been the first flower to 
salute the storm-beaten crew of the Mayflower on the conclu- 
sion of their first terrible winter. Their descendants have 
thence piously derived the name, although its bloom is often 
past before the coming in of the month of May." The stems 
of the plant are several feet in length, generally covered with 
the fallen leaves. The flower-stems are thrown up at inter- 
vals of two or three inches, three or four inches high, produc- 
ing flowers in crowded clusters. The flower-buds are formed 
in August. Leaves evergreen. 



EUONYMUS. 



Spindle Tree — Straivberry Tree. 



Euonymus Americanus. — Burning Bush. — An elegant 
shrub, growing eight or ten feet high, producing rather incon- 
spicuous purple flowers in clusters, which are succeeded by 
brilliant scarlet fruit, that remains after the foliage has fallen ; 
highly ornamental. The foliage is handsome ; the branches 
erect, of a fresh green color. There is a variety with purplish- 



238 breck's book of flowers. 

red berries, and another with white berries. Upon the opening 
of the valve which encloses the berry, the white variety show 
to great advantage, the valve being white, and the berry a light 
scarlet. The berries are produced in great profusion. Plants 
may be raised from seed, Avhich should be planted in autumn; 
or by layers or cuttings. 

E. EuropcBus. — The European Spindle Tree. — This is a 
handsome evergreen shrub, with deep shining-green leaves, 
with a variety having silver-edged leaves. The European 
species and varieties are somewhat tender in this latitude. 
They should be planted in a sheltered, shady place. 



FAGUS. 

Beech. 

The Beech is a fine tree, suitable for ornamental pleasure- 
grounds, but too large for the shrubbery. 

The Purple Beech is a European variety, propagated by 
grafting upon the common species. It is a small tree, but 
may be kept within bounds by pruning in, and is very de- 
sirable in a collection of shrubs, on account of its dark -purple, 
almost black, leaves. The younger leaves are purplish-crim- 
son, and present a brilliant appearance during the bright sun- 
shine. In summer the foliage loses its brilliant tints, the leaves 
changing to a purplish-green. 

No collection of shrubs should be deficient of the Purple, or 
Copper Beech, as it is sometimes called. The contrast between 
this and most other shrubs is very marked. The Weeping 
Beech is another desirable variety ; its drooping pendulous 
branches are very ornamental. Propagated in the same way 
as the other, either by budding, grafting, or inarching. 



FRAXINUS HALESIA. 239 

FRAXINUS. 
Ash. 

The Ash is a well-known valuable timber tree, and suitable 
for avenues, but not for the shrubbery, unless on a large scale. 

The Weeping Ash, or F. pendula, is a variety of F. excel- 
sior, first discovered in a field at Gamblingay, Cambridgeshire, 
England, This is propagated by grafting, or inarching upon 
the common Ash. It looks well in the shrubbery, but more 
particularly upon a lawn by itself; the branches will droop to 
the ground, and form a handsome weeping head. There are 
other varieties, with curled or variegated leaves, which are 
desirable in making up an extensive collection. 



HALESIA. 
Snow-drop Tree. 

Halesia tetraptera. — Four-winged Halesia. — A native of 
Carolina, where it is found growing on the banks of rivers. It 
is an ornamental shrub, five or six feet high, valuable for its 
early flowering in May. The flower hangs in small bunches 
all along the branches, each bud producing from four to eight 
or nine ; they appear before the leaves, and are of a snowy 
whiteness, and last for two or three weeks. 

Halesia diptera. — Two-winged Silver Bell Tree. — This 
species is described in Downing's first volume of the Horticul- 
turist as follows : — " The present species is a much rarer one 
than the last. Its native country is Georgia and Carolina, but it 
is hardy here, and is well entitled to a prominent place in the 
pleasure-grounds. It differs very strongly from the common 
species, in both the larger size and the purer white of the flow- 
ers, and also in foliage, which is twice as broad as that of the 
four-winged sorts. The seeds have, as the name indicates, 



240 breck's book of flowers. 

only two-winged appendages. Though this species is fre- 
quently advertised for sale, yet it is rarely found true to 
name. There are two or three fine specimens of the true 
Halesia diptera in the excellent nursery-grounds of Mr. William 
Reid, at jMurray Hill, New York city, which have strongly 
excited our admiration whenever we have seen them in bloom. 
They blossom in June, three or four weeks later than H. 
tetraptera ; the blossoms are large and numerous, and of a pure 
and snowy whiteness, and remain a good while in flower. 
Altogether, we consider the Two-winged Silver Bell as a hardy 
shrub of great beauty, and one that should be largely propa- 
gated, and introduced into every collection. It cannot be very 
difficult to obtain seeds from the South, and Mr. Reid informs 
us that this species ripens seeds in the open borders of his 
grounds." 



H E D E R A. 

English Ivy. 

Hedera helix. — Common Ivy. — The ancients held Ivy in 
great esteem, and Bacchus is represented as cro\vned with it 
to prevent intoxication. It is a highly esteemed ornamental 
evergreen climber, and much used in England for covering 
naked buildings or trees, or for training into fanciful shapes, or 
trained up a stake so as to form a standard. 

In this country it is not very common, but it appears to suc- 
ceed well in shady collections. There are some specimens in 
the city of Boston, which flourish finely upon the rough granite 
or brick walls of buildings. It is easily propagated by cuttings 
or layers. There are a number of varieties of this, of which 
all are desirable, growing to a great height, and attaching itself 
firmly to whatever it grows upon, without any assistance. 



HIBISCUS — ILEX. 24 1 

HIBISCUS. 

Althaafrutex. 

Hibiscus Syriacus. — The Althea is a well-known ornamental 
shrub, of easy cultivation ; but a little tender in some situa- 
tions, particularly the double white variety. They grow freely 
from cuttings, from which the double varieties are multiplied ; 
or very easily from seed, for single varieties. We think some 
of the single varieties are equally handsome as the double, and 
generally more hardy. There is the double white, red, blue 
and white, with stripes, or blotches, and others. 



ILEX. 
The Holly. 

Ilex, a name of unknown origin. In England, innumerable 
varieties have been raised from Ilex aqvAfolium, a low tree, of 
shrub, which vary in the margin and size, or in the variegation 
of the leaves. Being evergreens, they are highly esteemed for 
the shrubbery, for small groups, or for lawns, and make a gay 
appearance at all seasons of the year. The silver and gold- 
edged varieties are very beautiful. The common green prickly- 
leaved is used for hedges ; the only objection to it is its very 
slow growth. 

Alas ! were it not for our changeable climate, we, too, might 
have this desirable family of plants in our shrubberies and bor- 
ders. They do not succeed well in the New England States ; 
probably they may thrive in sheltered places, where not miuch 
exposed to the sun. They are worthy of many trials, 

Jlex opaca. — The American Holly. — This species is found 
plentifully in some parts of Massachusetts. Mr. Emerson 
says of it : — " The American Holly is a handsome, low tree, 
with nearly horizontal branches, and thorny, evergreen leaves. 
The berries are scarlet, and remain on the tree into the winter. 
21 



242 breck's book of flowers. 

It flowers in June. It has considerable beauty, and is particu- 
larly valuable for retaining its bright green leaves through the 
year, and for its scarlet berries. The leaves are seldom touched 
by an insect. On these accounts it deserves cultivation as an 
ornamental tree. It has great resemblance to the European 
Holly, which makes the most durable hedge of any plant what- 
ever, and one which is kept in repair, when once established, 
at the least expense. The objection to it is the slowness of its 
growth. Our tree is commonly found on a rather dry, sandy, 
or rocky soil, but will grow on almost any. The European is 
found to do best on a rich, sandy loam, in an open forest of 
oak. It is propagated by seeds, or plants taken from the woods. 
The seeds do not germinate for more than a year after sowing. 
They are, therefore, kept in moist earth for a year after gather- 
ing, after which they are sown at the depth of a quarter of an 
inch in firm soil. The surface should be protected from heat 
and drought by a covering of half-rotten leaves, or litter. 
When transplanted, they should be protected for a while from 
the heat of the sun. The best time for transplanting is early 
in the spring, before the plant has begun to shoot." 

The same may be said of the seeds of the Thorn, and many 
others, as of the Holly. They will not vegetate till the second 
spring after maturing, and are prepared by exposing them to 
the action of the frost, by slightly covering with earth, thus 
remaining till they are to be sown in beds, or drills. 



KALMIA. 

A small genus of handsome evergreen indigenous shrubs. 
Kalmia, in honor of Peter Kalm, a pupil of Linnaeus. 

Kahnia latifolia. — Mountain Laurel, Spoon Wood, &c. — 
Among the shrubs that embellish the scenery of the interior 
of the country, this may be considered one of the most elegant. 
Its general height is from five to ten feet, but may sometimes 
be seen rising from fifteen to twenty feet, among the rocks 



KALMIA. 243 

and thickets, almost impenetrable by its crooked and unyield- 
ing trunks, locked and entangled with each other. The leaves 
are about three or four inches long, evergreen, giving much 
life to the forests in the winter, by their deep shining-green. 
The flowers are disposed in large corymbs, at the extremity of 
the branches ; numerous ; of a pure white, blush, or a beauti- 
ful rose-color, and more rarely a deep red. The season of 
flowering is in the months of June and July, Nothing can 
exceed the magnificence of its appearance when in full bloom. 
The soil in which it best succeeds is soft, loose, and cool, with 
a northern exposure. The foliage is the richest when the plant 
is grown in the shade. The soil suitable for its growth is the 
same as recommended for the Azalea. Young plants, taken up 
with balls of earth attached, will succeed well in the garden, 
in the shade. Those from open pastures will flourish best, if 
such can be found. There is no shrub, foreign or native, that 
will exceed this in splendor, when well grown. 

K. angustifolia. — Narrow-leaved Ivalmia. — This is a low 
shrub, that covers large tracts of cold, moist land, in almost 
every section of the country. It is a great nuisance to the 
farmer, who looks suspiciously upon it, as it has the reputation 
of being poisonous to sheep and other animals, which, for the 
sake of variety or want of other food, sometimes feed upon it. 
Cobbett says : " The little dwarf brush stuff', that infests the 
plains of Long Island, is, under a fine Latin name, a choice 
green-house plant in England, selling for a dollar when no 
bigger than a handful of thyme." How large a handful he 
does not say. " When in bloom," he remarks, " it resembles 
a large bunch of Sweet William. It is so pretty, it is worth 
having in a green-house, where it would probably blow in 
April, on Long Island." Blooms in June and July ; flowers 
red, or deep pink, and I have seen a white variety ; leaves 
evergreen ; grows from one to two feet high. 



244 breck's book of flowers. 

KERRIA. 

Kerria Japonica, formerly Corchorics Japonica. — Japan 
Globe-flower. — This is an elegant shrub, growing three or 
four feet high, producing a profusion of double yellow globular 
flowers, from June to September. The branches are bright 
deep-green; the foliage handsome. It is a little tender in 
some locations, the tops being frequently killed down ; but it 
sends up fresh shoots, which flower the same season. It is 
easily propagated by suckers. 



LAURUS. 

Laurus benzoin, or Fever Bush — or Benzoin odoriferum, 
Spice Bush. — " The Spice Bush is a shrub, from four to ten 
feet high, remarkable for its graceful form, and large, hand- 
some leaves, particularly when found growing in the deep 
shade of a moist forest. Such a situation, where it seems 
most vigorous, is not favorable to the production of its flowers 
and fruit. In April, or the first part of May, clusters of from 
three to six flowers, of a greenish-yellow, on very short pedi- 
cels, appear from buds, distinct from the leaf-buds, in the axils 
of the last year's leaves. Fruit, a dark-red, or purple ; drupe, 
(berry,) of an oval shape, in bunches from two to five. The 
stem is short and stout, not so long as the drupe. The plant 
derives its botanical name from its aromatic odor, resembling 
gum benzoin. This is to some persons always disagreeable." 

The proper soil for the Spice Bush is the same as that for 
the Azalea, Rhododendron, &c. 



LAVENDULA. 

Lavender. 

Lavendula, — so named for its use in fomentations and 
baths. 



LAVENDULA. 



245 



Lavendula spicata. — Spike-flowered Lavender. — This is a 
most desirable dwarf shrub, with deUcate glaucous foliage, with 
spikes of blue flowers, in July ; three feet high. The whole 
plant is delightfully fragrant, but more particularly the flowers. 
These yield the oil from which the Lavender water is made. In 
some soils and situations the plant is tender. In cold, moist 
soil, it is almost sure to be winter-killed ; but, in a dry, loamy, 
or gravelly soil, it endures our winters with but little protection. 
We have been successful in the cultivation of it in a soil of the 
latter quality, and, from the flowers that grew upon the edging 
of a circular bed, six feet in diameter, obtained more than one 
ounce of the pure Lavender, one drop of which would perfume 
a room. It is sometimes used for edgings, in milder climates, 
but grows too high for general use. As an edging for a bed of 
Moss Roses, we have seen it used with pleasing effect. 

" The agreeable scent of Lavender is well known, since it is 
an old and still a common custom [in England, we suppose,] 
to scatter the flowers over linen, as some do rose leaves, for the 
sake of their sweet odor." 

" Pure Lavender, to lay in bridal gown." 

Lavender water, too, as it is usually called, although it is 
really spirit of wine scented with the oil of Lavender, is one of 
our most common perfumes. " The stalks of the Lavender, 
even when the flowers have been stripped away, have an agree- 
able scent, and, if burnt, will diffuse it powerfully and pleas- 
antly. To a Londoner, it becomes a kind of rural pleasure to 
hear the cry of " Three bunches a penny, sweet Lavender ! " 

" And Lavender, whose spikes of azure bloom 
Shall be erewhile in arid bundles bound, 
To lurk amidst the labors of the loom, 
And crown her kerchiefs clean with mickle rare perfume." 

Lavender is easily propagated by cuttings, or slips. It is a 
great pity that it is not perfectly hardy ; but as it is, with a 
little choice in its location, it is easily preserved through the 
21* 



246 breck's book of flowers. 

winter, and worthy of all the care and trouble that may be 
given to its cultivation. 



LIGUSTRUM. 

Privet. 

Ligustrum vulgare. — The Common Privet, or Prim. — 
The Privet shrub is a native of Europe, and introduced from 
thence to this country, and now has become domesticated in 
many parts of New England. In England, the Privet is an 
evergreen, or the leaves remain until driven off by new ones. 
In this climate it is deciduous, shedding its leaves late in 
autumn. " In France and Great Britain, the Privet is much 
used for a hedge plant, either alone or with other plants. Its 
use for this purpose is recommended by the beauty of the 
foliage, the flowers and berries, by its rapid and easy 
growth, and by the fact that it grows well under the drip of 
other trees, except evergreens. It flourishes in almost any 
soil, as may be easily seen from the variety of ground on 
which it has sown itself in the vicinity of Boston ; and it is 
propagated by seeds, or by cuttings, and requires very little 
pruning. It grows in clumps, from strong, matted, bright-yellow 
roots, in height six or eight feet. Flowers white, in short, 
terminal panicles, in June ; the berries are of a shining black." 
— {Emerson.) 

The Privet blossom has been frequently celebrated for its 
whiteness. 

" The Privet, too, 



Whose white flowers rival the first drifts of snow 
On Grampia's piny hills." 

The blossom of the Privet, when exposed to the noonday sun, 
withers almost as soon as blown. In the shade, it not only 
lasts longer, but is much larger. The leaves, too, are much 
larger and finer, when so placed. 



LONICERA — LTCIUM. 247 

LONICERA. 
Tartarean Honeysuckle. 

All the species of this genus are upright, ornamental shrubs, 
suitable for the shrubbery, of easy culture. 

Lonicera Tartarica. — Tartarean Honeysuckle. — This spe- 
cies grows to the height of eight or ten feet, and is covered 
with a profusion of pink flowers, in June, which are succeeded 
by red berries. In foliage, flower, or fruit, this is a desirable 
shrub, and thrives in almost any soil and situation. There is 
a variety with white flowers and yellow berries. They are 
natives of Russia, and are propagated easily by cuttings, lay- 
ers, and seeds. 

L. Ledebmirii is a new species, said to be very handsome. 
We imported a few plants last season. The foliage is hand- 
some, and from the few flowers that appeared, it promises to be 
an important addition to our ornamental shrubs. 



LYCIUM. 

l/ycium, — so called because the original species was a na- 
tive of Lycia. 

Lychcvi harharum. — Willow-leaved Lycium. — This is an 
ornamental climbing shrub, valuable for covering arbors, naked 
walls, &c. It grows from four to six feet in a season. The 
foliage is delicate, and the whole plant is covered with small, 
but handsome, violet flowers, from May to August. It will grow 
in almost any soil, and is easily propagated from cuttings and 
from suckers. In the shrubbery, it may be permitted to ramble 
at its pleasure, or trained to suit the fancy. 



248 breck's book of flowers. 



MAGNOLIA. 

" This genus, named for Magnol, a distinguished botanist in 
France, contains trees, except M. glauca, which, in the North- 
ern States, is only a shrub ; all of them beautiful, and some of 
them the finest and most splendid trees that are known. 

" Magnolia glauca. — The most northern boundary of the 
habitation of this beautiful plant is supposed to be in a shel- 
tered swamp, near Cape Ann, and not far from the sea. 

" Few ornamental plants are better worth the attention of the 
gardener. Carefully trained, it forms a beautiful little tree. No 
plant is, at any season and in every condition, more beautiful. 
The flower, pure white, two or three inches broad, is as beauti- 
ful and almost as fragrant as the White Lily. The fruit is 
a cone, about two inches long, covered with scale-like, imbricated 
ovaries, from which, when mature, escape the scarlet obovate 
seeds, which, instead of falling at once to the ground, remain 
some time suspended by a slender thread. The bark of the 
young shoots is smooth and of a rich apple-green, afterwards 
becoming of a soft glaucous or whitish color. Before opening, 
the leaves are enclosed by the stipules, which, falling, leave 
rmgs encircling the branch ; when young the leaves are cov- 
ered with a pubescence, which, beneath, has a silken lustre." 
— {Emerson.) 

Although naturally growing in wet ground, it will flourish 
in almost any good garden soil, if not exceedingly dry, particu- 
larly if partially shaded from the sun. It inay be propagated by 
layers, — which require two years to root sufficiently, — or by 
seed, if great care is observed. 

Magnolia acuminata. — Acuminate-leaved Magnolia. — This 
species attains the size of a large tree in a more southern cli- 
mate. In the neighborhood of Boston there are handsome 
specimens of this magnificent tree, but not of a large size. The 
flowers are very conspicuous, being five or six inches across, 
of a bluish-white color, produced from May to July. The 



MAGNOLIA. 



249 



foliage is very large. It produces cylindrical fruit, three or 
four inches long, with the scarlet seeds depending from it. 

Magiiolia auriculata. — Ear-leaved Magnolia. — This is a 
splendid tree, and does not grow to so large a size as the last, 
but more beautiful, for shape, foliage and flowers. 

There are a number of species of this magnificent tribe, that 
succeed very well as far north as Massachusetts, in sheltered 
localities; but they are not to be depended upon where 
exposed to cold winds. 

The Chinese Magnolias, according to Mr. Downing, are all 
hardy, except one, {M. fuscata,) in the latitude of Newburg, N. 
Y. Some of them we have seen flourishing in this vicinity, 
and probably all will succeed here. 

He says : " They are certainly among the most striking and 
ornamental objects in our pleasure-grounds and shrubberies in 
the spring. Indeed, during the months of April and the early 
part of May, two of them, the White, or Compicua, and Sou- 
lange's Purple, or Soulangiaiia, eclipse every other floral object, 
whether tree or shrub, that the garden contains. Their numer 
ous branches, thickly studded with large flowers, most classi- 
cally shaped, with thick, kid-like petals, and rich, spicy odor, 
wear an aspect of novelty and beauty among the smaller blos- 
soms of the more common trees and shrubs that blossom at that 
early time, and really fill the beholder with delight. The Chi- 
nese White Magnolia {M. conspicua) is, in effect of its blos- 
soms, the most charming of all Magnolias. The flowers, in 
color a pure, creamy white, are produced in such abundance, 
that the tree, when pretty large, may be seen at a great dis- 
tance. 

"The Chinese name, Gulan, WiQXdMjt Lily-tree, is an apt and 
expressive one, as the blossoms are not much unlike those of the 
White Lily in size and shape, when fully expanded. Among 
the Chinese poets, they are considered the emblem of candor 
and beauty." 

Mr. Downing speaks of a tree, about twenty feet high, planted 
on the lawn in front of his house about fourteen years ago, on 



250 bkeck's book of flowers. 

which there were, the season previous, three thousand blossoms 
open upon it at once. " The branches spread over a space of 
fifteen feet in diameter, and the stem, near the ground, eight 
inches in diameter. Its growth highly symmetrical. For the 
last ten years it has never, in a single season, failed to produce 
a fine display of blossoms." He states, that its usual period of 
blossoming is from the fifth to the twenty-fifth of April. It is 
grafted on the Cucumber Tree, {31. acuminata,) which he sup- 
poses renders the tree more hardy and vigorous than it would 
be on its own stock or root, 

" The next most ornamental Chinese Magnolia," he says, 
" is Soulange's Purple, {Mag?iolia Soulangiana.) This is a 
hybrid seedling, raised by the late Chevalier Soulange Bodin, 
the distinguished French horticulturist. The habit of the tree 
is closely similar to that of the conspicua ; its blossoms, equally 
numerous, are rather larger, but the outside of the petals is 
finely tinged with purple. It partakes of the character of both 
its parents, having the growth of Magnolia conspicua, and the 
color of M. purpurea, (or, indeed, a lighter shade of purple.) 
Its term of blooming is, also, mid-way between that of these 
two species, being about a week later than that of the white, 
or Gulan Magnolia. It is also perfectly hardy in this latitude." 
The Magnolia pfiirpnirea is sometimes seen in large gardens 
about Boston, but is a little tender. " It is a shrub of six to 
eight feet high. The blossoms are white within, of a fine 
dark-lilac or purple on the outside, and quite fragrant, like the 
others." The flowers begin to open early in May, and con- 
tinue blooming a number of weeks, or, if in the shade, through 
most of the summer. M. gracilis differs from the purple-flow- 
ering only in its more slender growth, and narrower leaves and 
petals. 

The same gentleman remarks, that, " If these noble flowering 
trees have a defect, it is one which is inseparable from the 
early period at which they bloom, viz., that of having few or 
no leaves when the blossoms are in their full perfection ;" and 
suggests, that the planting of the American Arbor Vitse and 



MAHONIA PAULOWNIA. 251 

Hemlock, would remedy this defect, by forming a dark-green 
background, on which the beautiful masses of Magnolia flow- 
ers would appear to great advantage. 



MAHONIA. 

Mahonia aquifolium. — Ilex-leaved Mahonia. — This is an 
elegant evergreen shrub, three or four feet high, with clusters 
of yellow flowers, in May or June, succeeded by bunches of 
blue berries. The leaves are compound, with somewhat 
prickly points, very glossy green, inclining to purplish-brown, 
and, in those that are young, various shades of crimson and 
purple, giving the plant a very rich appearance. The foliage 
remains in perfection during the winter, where screened from 
the sun by trees, or covered with snow or straw. In autumn 
the foliage is very gay, as on the same plant there will be 
bright-green, purple, brown and crimson leaves. 



PAULOWNIA. 

Paulownia imperialis. — This is a magnificent tree, of recent 
introduction. To all appearances it Avill not grow to a very 
large size in our climate. As it is perfectly hardy it will be a 
rich addition to our collection for the shrubbery or lawn. We 
have not yet seen the flowers. We planted a number of trees 
three years since, which endured the two last winters to per- 
fection. These trees were not pruned, but the branches were 
permitted to strike out near the ground for the purpose of lay- 
ering. As they now appear, they would be ornamental in the 
shrubbery, even without bloom, on account of their showy 
foliage. Mr. Downing has given us a description of this tree, 
in the Horticulturist, and we will give his full and interesting 
description of it as we find it in vol. i., page 16 : — 



252 breck's book of flowers. 

" The striking peculiarity of the Paulownia, however, is its 
showy foliage. The leaves are the shape of those of the Ca- 
talpa, but of a darker green, perhaps resembling more closely 
those of a large Sun-flower — being broad and heart-shaped. 
In rich soil the growth of the tree is extremely rapid — young 
plants making shoots of eight or ten feet in a season, and on 
such we have measured leaves a foot and a half in diameter. 
But on older trees they are usually about half that size. 

" The flowers are produced in April, in panicles, at the ends 
of the branches. They resemble in general appearance those 
of the Catalpa, but the color is a pale-bluish violet. The seeds 
are borne in an oval capsule as large as a pigeon's egg. 

" When the Paulownia was first introduced into the Garden 
of Plants, at Paris, it was treated as a delicate green-house 
plant. It was soon found, however, that it was perfectly hardy 
on the Continent and in England. In this country, it appears 
equally so. The trees in this latitude have stood the past two 
winters, even in exposed situations, without covering, and have 
not lost an inch of the previous season's growth. We, there- 
fore, consider it a hardier tree than the Catalpa, which often 
suffers badly from the cold of this latitude. Nothing is easier 
than the propagation of this tree. Single buds will grow, like 
those of the Mulberry and the Vine, taken off early in the spring, 
and covered about an inch deep in the soil of a fresh hot-bed. 
The cuttings of the young shoots, planted under a hand-glass 
in a shady border, strike root readily. But by far the easiest 
and most rapid mode is that of planting pieces of the roots. 

" Every little piece of the root of the Paulownia will, under 
certain conditions, produce a plant. It is only necessary to 
make a common hot-bed early in the spring, reduce the roots 
of the parent tree, (and it will bear a very severe reduction,) 
and plant every piece that will make a cutting not smaller than 
a goose-quill, and a couple of inches long. Plant these bits of 
roots about an inch and a half deep in the rich, light soil of the 
hot-bed. In a fortnight's time every bit will throw up a bud, 
make new roots, and become a distinct plant. When the plants 



PEONY — PHILADELPHUS. 253 

are about three inches high, they may be transplanted into 
rows, beds, borders, or, in short, wherever they are finally to 
grow. If the season is favorable, they will grow to the height 
of from three to six feet before the close of the autumn. Next 
year, if the soil is deep, they will make shoots eight or ten feet 
long. 

" When the Paulownia was first offered for sale in Europe, 
about three years ago, it was advertised by the Brothers Bau- 
mann, the great nurserymen of the Rhine, at from three to six 
guineas per plant. From the rapidity with which the nursery- 
men are propagating it now, iu this country, we have no doubt 
it may be bought next autumn, at wholesale, at about the same 
price per hundred trees. 

" The parent tree, in the Jardin des Plantes, Paris, has 
already borne seeds, in considerable quantity, which have vege- 
tated very regularly. The tree has not yet, to our knowledge, 
flowered in this country, but will probably do so next spring. 
As soon as the seeds are produced in abundance, we advise cul- 
tivators to resort to them — the best of all modes of propagat- 
ing ornamental trees — when it is possible to do so." 



PEONY. 

PcBonia moutan^ and its varieties, are magnificent plants for 
the front rank in the shrubbery ; — for description of them, and 
modes of culture, see Pseonia, under the head of Bulbous and 
Tuberous Roots. — See page 68. 



PHILADELPHUS. 

/^ 

Syrtnga. ' 

From Ptolemy PMladelphus, King of Egypt. It is also 
called Mock Orange. 
22 



254 breck's book of flowers. 

The Syringa is a most delicious shrub : the foliage is luxuri- 
ant, the blossom beautiful and abundant, white as the purest 
Lily, and of the most fragrant scent. In a room, indeed, this per- 
fume is too powerful, but in the air it is remarkably agreeable. 
There is a variety Avhich has no scent, and also a dwarf variety, 
which does not usually exceed three feet in height. The flow- 
ers sweet, and some double. 

"The sweet Syringa, yielding but in scent 
To the rich Orange, or the Woodbine wild, 
That loves to hang on barren boughs, remote, 
, Her wreaths of flowery perfume." 

All the species are propagated by suckers, layers, or cuttings, 
and thrive in any good garden soil. 

P. grandijlorus. — Large-flowering Syringa. — This is the 
handsomest of the genus. It is perfectly hardy, growing in 
any soil or situation, forming a spreading shrub about six feet 
or more high ; flowering in June and July. 

P. kirsutus. — This shrub grows from four to five feet high. 
Like the last, it is a native of North America, where it was 
discovered by Mr. Nuttall. It thrives in the shrubbery in any 
common garden soil, and is propagated like the others. 

P. coronarius, — or Common Syringa, — greatly resembles 
the other ; grows about five feet high, and is delightfully fra- 
grant when in bloom. Flowers in June and July. 



PRUNUS, 
Plum. 

The genus are natives of North America, Europe, and Asia. 
Many of them are thorny plants in the wild state. They have 
showy flowers, in clusters. Some of the species are esteemed 
ornamental. 

Prunus candicans. — This is a delightful, hardy, deciduous 
shrub, growing about six or eight feet high. It is very easy 



PYRUS. 



255 



of cultivation, and in May and June, when in full flower, is a 
perfect picture, the white flowers nearly hiding the young 
leaves, which are beginning at that time to cover the branches. 
It may either be propagated by layers, or by budding and 
grafting on the common plum stock. 

P. siberica scarcely grows so large as the candicans ; thrives 
well in almost any soil and situation, and makes a pretty orna- 
ment when in flower. It may be increased both by layers and 
budding, or grafting on a common plum stock. 



PYRUS. 

The Apple, the Pear, the Service, the Beam tree, and the 
Mountain Ash, besides several less important plants, belong to 
this genus. 

Pyrus coronaria. — Sweet-scented Crab. — This beautiful 
Crab tree is a native of North America. It grows upwards of 
twenty feet high. In May, when it flowers, a delightful fra- 
grance is emitted, which in the evening perfumes the whole of 
that part of the garden. It will grow in almost any low situa- 
tion, and may be propagated by grafting on other crab stocks, 
or by layers. 

P. Jloribunda. — This forms a broad-spreading, but not very 
lofty, bush, which in spring is thickly covered with blossoms, 
and in autumn with purple berries. It grows freely in com- 
mon garden soil, and may be propagated by the same means 
as coronaria. 

P. spuria. — A small deciduous shrub, very hardy, and easy 
of propagation. Grafted upon the common stock, or crab or 
pear stocks, it grows very freely. 

P. angustifolia. — This very pretty shrub rarely loses all its 
leaves ; for, although not an evergreen, the leaves of the previ- 
ous year seldom fall until new ones are produced. It resem- 
bles in size P. coronaria, seldom growing above eight feet 
high. It is propagated by grafting on the crab stock, and by 



256 breck's book of flowers. 

layers. Flowers pink, in May. Grows from ten to twenty 
feet high. 

P. prunifolia. — Siberian Crab. — This well-knowTi species 
is a native of Siberia. It is not only ornamental in flower, 
but in fruit. There are two varieties, one with scarlet, the 
other with yellow, fruit. The fruit is sometimes used as a 
preserve, but it is more ornamental than useful. The tree 
grows fifteen to twenty feet high ; in flower in May. Propa- 
gated by grafting or budding. 

P. Americana. — American Mountain Ash. — This shrub, 
or small tree, has a strong resemblance to the European Moun- 
tain Ash, but is much more dwarf and bushy. It grows sixteen 
to twenty feet high. The flowers, which expand early in 
June, are white. The fruit is first orange, then turns to a 
bright-scarlet, and very much like the imported species. 

P. aucupana. — European Mountain Ash. — This is more 
graceful in its habits than the American species, making quite 
a handsome tree, of twenty-five or thirty feet in height. The 
foliage of both kinds is graceful, but this species is the most 
delicate. The berries are more compact, and produced in 
great profusion. These constitute the great ornament of the 
tree. 

Mr. Emerson informs us " that the English Mountain Ash 

is commonly known in England by the name of Eowan or 

Eoan-tree, and, in some districts, Witchen, and has long been 

considered of sovereign power against witches and evil spirits, 

and all their fascinations and spells. For this purpose it was 

made into walking-sticks, or branches of it were hung about 

the house or about stables and cow-houses. In a stanza of an 

ancient song, quoted by the author of ' Sylvan Sketches,' we 

have : — 

' Their spells were vain ; the hags returned 

To the queen in sorrowful mood, 

Crying that witches have no power 

Where there is Roan-tree wood.' 

She adds, — ' This last line leads to the true reading of a line 



RHAMNUS. 257 

in Shakspeare's tragedy of Macbeth. The sailor's wife, on 
the witch's requesting some chestnuts, hastily answers, " A 
rowan-tree, witch ! " but all the editions have, " Aroint thee, 
witch ! " which is nonsense, and evidently a corruption.' 

" As the Rowan-tree grows freely in the most exposed situa- 
tions, it is often planted as a nurse to young trees of slow 
growth, exposed to the sea-breeze, and it has the great advan- 
tage of not growing above a certain height, so that when it has 
performed its office it does not interfere with the growth of the 
oaks and other trees for whose benefit they were planted. It 
flourishes best in a good moist soil, in any easy exposure." 

The trees are easily raised from the seed. If sown in 
autumn, the young plants will appear in eighteen months. 



RHAMNUS. 
The Buckthorn. 

Rhamnus^ — from the Celtic ram, signifying branching. A 
genus of shrubby plants, of no great interest, except for their 
medicinal qualities, or for the uses of their hemes for dyes or 
paints, or the wood of some species for carving into images. 

jR. cathartica, — the Common Buckthorn, — is a well- 
known shrub, or small tree, " the fruit of which was formerly 
employed, in medicine, as a purgative, but it is too violent and 
drastic to be safely used, and is now chiefly confined to veteri- 
nary practice, to which it is well adapted. The saffi-on- 
colored juice of the unripe berries, called French berries by 
dyers, is used as paint and a dye. Sap-green is made of the 
inspissated juice of the ripe berries, with alum and gum 
Arabic. If gathered very late, they yield a purple, instead of 
a green, color. The bark furnishes a beautiful yellow dye, or, 
dried, it colors brown. The wood of the roots is yellowish- 
brown, with a satin lustre, and very compact, and may be 
employed by the turner." — {Emerson.) 
22* 



258 breck's book of flowers. 

The great value of the Buckthorn, with us, is for hedges. 
It is perfectly hardy, grows rapidly, and bears pruning better 
than any other shrub with which we are acquainted. Another 
important item in its value is, that it is never attacked by 
insects of any description. It is, also, very tough, and flourishes 
in any soil. No animal, except sheep or goats, will feed upon 
it. We consider it, therefore, the only plant for general use 
for the formation of hedges. " It puts forth its leaves early in 
the spring, and retains them late in the fall, and its bunches of 
rich berries are very showy in autumn." 

The plants are easily raised from seed, which may be planted 
either in the fall or very early in the spring. When planted 
in autumn, it may be done as soon as the berries mature. 

The berries should be first mashed and washed, so that they 
may be planted more evenly. The seed may be sown in drills 
eighteen inches apart, or in beds. The fall-sown seed will 
vegetate very early in the spring, while those sown in the 
spring will not appear under four or five weeks from the time 
of planting. The second year, the plants may be transferred to 
the nursery, and should be headed down as soon as they begin 
to grow. This causes them to thicken at the bottom ; a very 
important point to be remembered, for unless they are first 
grown with branches from the bottom, no after cultivation can 
remedy the neglect. 

The best hedges we have seen were those where the plants 
were placed in a single line, six inches distant from each other. 



RHODODENDRON. 

American Rose Bay. 

Rhododendron maximum. — The generic name is derived 
from the Greek, rhodon, a rose, and detidron, a tree, because 
the flowers resemble, in color, bunches of roses. In the North- 
ern States, it is a straggling shrub, of very irregular growth, 



RHODODENDRON. 259 

but one of the most magnificent in foliage and flower the coun- 
try can boast of. It is abundant in the Middle States, and in 
the mountainous tracts of the Southern, but in New England 
rare. It is found near Portland, Leicester, and in a swamp in 
Medfield, in this state. 

The Bliododendron is generally under ten feet in height in 
this part of the country, but sometimes attains the height of 
twenty or twenty-five feet in a less rigorous climate. The 
places where it is found, in New England, may be considered as 
beyond its proper natural limits, and it will be met with only in 
warm swamps, under the shelter of evergreens, and where the 
roots are protected by water, which usually overflows these 
places. 

The flower-buds are often destroyed, even thus situated, in 
very severe seasons. When the leaves are beginning to 
unfold themselves they are rose-colored, and covered with red 
down. When fully expanded, they are smooth, five or six 
inches long, of an elongated oval form, and of a thick coria- 
ceous texture. They are evergreen, and partially renewed once 
in three or four years. It puts forth flowers in June and July, 
which are, commonly, rose-colored, with yellow or orange dots 
on the inside, and sometimes pure white, or shaded with lake. 
They are always collected at the extremity of the branches, in 
beautiful groups, which derive additional lustre from the foliage 
that surrounds them. Previous to its expansion, the whole 
bud forms one large compound bud, resembling a strobilus or 
cone, each individual one being covered by a rhomboidal bracte, 
which falls ofi" when the flower expands. The corolla is mo- 
nopetalous, (one piece or petal,) funnel-shaped, with a short tube, 
the border divided into five large, unequal segments. There 
is but a small chance of plants succeeding which have been 
taken from swamps. The surest way to propagate it is by seed, 
from which it readily grows, but requires time and patience to 
bring it into a flowering state. 

Shade and humidity seem almost indispensable to the growth 
of this shrub. Deeply shaded situations, where the atmosphere 



260 breck's book of flowers. 

is laden with vapors, are most congenial to its growth. It is, 
therefore, well calculated for the shrubbery. With a little 
attention, it may be inured to stand the sun, and then forms a 
stately ornament for the lawn or grass-plot. The proper soil 
is a light, rich, peaty loam, with moisture. It will grow, how- 
ever, in almost any, and flourish on a strong, heavy loam. 
It may be propagated from cuttings and layers, from young, 
healthy branches of ripened wood, and, managed as ordinary 
plants, thus increased. There are many exotic species, which 
are beautiful, and highly ornamental to the green-house. R. 
po7iticum and many others will withstand the winter in the 
open ground, if well protected, as most of them are natives of 
cold, mountainous regions, and covered in the winter by Alpine 
snows. 

R. maximum is one of the parents from which a numerous 
family of splendid varieties have been produced, all equally 
hardy, and are only to be known, and their cultivation under- 
stood, to make them more common. The Messrs. Hoveys 
have exhibited, at the Horticultural Rooms, the flowers of many 
splendid varieties, grown in their nurseries, at Cambridge, in 
the open ground, fully exposed to the sun, in a rather low, 
moist location, and a peaty soil. 

PROPAGATION OF RHODODENDRON BY LAYERS. 

" When the plants are in full growth, merely peg down the 
young shoots, without any incision, and cover them with about 
two inches of soil, and by the following spring they will be 
ready to separate. 

" Cuttings of half-ripened wood, planted under a hand-glass, 
in September, on a north border, in peat earth, will often strike 
and make good plants, but layers are preferable. 

" Separatiyig the plant at the roots. — This is merely tearing 
off, or separating with a sharp knife, those branches with roots 
attached to them, which is the case when many branching 
stems spring from the same root. 

" By seed. — Sow the seed on a bed of peat soil, (heath 



EHODORA — RHUS. 26 1 

mould,) if there is a considerable quantity ; but if only a small 
portion, sow in a pan, or box, because of the ease with which 
the latter can be protected by placing it in a frame. If sown 
on a bed, shelter the plants while young, from heavy rains, &c., 
by mats, or hoops. Transplant, when large enough, into other 
beds, or into pots, and continue to shift them, every two years, 
till they are large enough to plant into their permanent situ- 
ations." 



KHODORA. 

False Honeysuckle. 

On the margin of swamps and in wet meadows may be 
found the Rhodora canadensis, a beautiful shrub, frequently in 
large masses, of many yards in circumference, and when in 
bloom, in May, presents a magnificent appearance. 

The flowers appear on the extremity of the branches before 
the leaves are perfectly expanded, are of a fine purple, in shape 
somewhat resembling the Honeysuckle, whence its common 
name, False Honeysuckle ; from two to three feet high. 

I have been successful with this fine shrub, by taking large 
masses of it from the meadows, with the earth attached to the 
roots, and planting in a most soil ; also, by taking the suckers, 
which it throws up as freely as the Lilac. It will flourish with- 
out much difficulty. 

RHUS. 

Sumach. 

Rhus, — derived from the same root as Rosa, rhudd, in Cel- 
tic, signifying red, on account of the color of the fruit. 

Some of the species are valuable in the arts, for tanning, 
dyeing, varnish, &c. The Sumachs are much cultivated for 
their singularity, and for the beauty of the foliage, especially 
in autumn, when it assumes the richest colors. " The most 
elegant species cannot be safely admitted into a garden, on 
account of their poisonous qualities." 



262 breck's book of flowers. 

RJms typhina. — Stag's-Horn Sumach. — This is one of the 
safe species, and highly ornamental in the shrubbery, on 
account of its elegant compound leaves and bunches of rich 
scarlet berries. The shrub, which grows to the height of twelve 
to twenty feet, is ugly shaped, its branches being rather naked 
and crooked. It must, therefore, be planted with other shrubs, 
so as to conceal, as much as possible, the crooked, irregular 
stems and branches. There is no particular beauty in the 
flowers ; but in July and August the heads of berries begin to 
assume a rich scarlet color, afterwards turning to purple, and 
remain conspicuous and beautiful into winter ; while in autumn 
the leaves begin early to turn, and become of a red color, with 
various shades of yellow, orange, and purple. The ends of 
the branches, from their irregularity and the abundant down 
with which they are covered, resemble the young horns of the 
stag, whence their name. 

Rhus copallina, — The Mountain Sumach, — is another 
beautiful species, " found growing on dry rocks, or sandy hills, 
about the same height of the last, in favorable, protected situ- 
ations, but usually about three to five feet. The varnished pol- 
ish of the leaves, and the rich purple they assume in autumn, 
as well as the scarlet of the leafy heads of fruit, make this 
species one of the most beautiful of the genus." 

Rhus glabra. — The Smooth Sumach. — This is a hand- 
some, spreading, leafy bush, usually four to six, rarely ten, feet 
high. The leaves are compound, smooth, of a rich green. 
The flowers are disposed of in a large green head, of yellow- 
ish-green color, and agreeable fragrance. The velvety crimson 
heads of berries on this plant, as on the others, are very acid 
and astringent. The leaves are used in tanning. 

Rhus cotimis. — Venetian Sumach, or Smoke Tree. — This 
species is much cultivated as an ornamental shrub. It is a 
crooked, straggling growing plant, from ten to fifteen feet high. 
No attempt should be made to make it grow straight by prun- 
ing, as it looks the best when left to itself, clothed with branches 
to the ground. Persons ignorant of the habits of the shrub, 



RHUS. 263 

often complain of nurserymen because they do not give them 
regular-shaped plants ; but this is impossible, nor is it desira- 
ble. 

The foliage is handsome; the flowers are disposed of in 
large panicles, first green, changing to a reddish-brown, and 
afterwards a brownish smoke color. The flowers, or append- 
ages to them, have the appearance of downy silk, in light, 
airy masses, and, as the plant is nearly covered with these 
graceful clusters, have some resemblance to pufls of smoke 
emerging from the graceful leaves. 

It is propagated from layers, very readily, and probably from 
seed, which, however, we have never seen. It is well adapted 
to the shrubbery. 

" In Greece and Russia, the shrub is used for tanning, and for 
dyeing a rich, beautiful yellow, and in Italy and about Venice, 
for dyeing black, and also for tanning." 

The poisonous species of Rhus to be avoided are, R. venenata 
and R. toxicodendron. 

Rhus venenata. — The Poison Sumach, or Dogwood. — 
" This is the most poisonous woody plant of New England. 
Some persons are so susceptible to its influence as to be poi- 
soned by the air blowing from it, or being near a fire on which 
it is burning. The poison shows itself in painful and long- 
continued swellings and eruptions of the face and hands, and 
other parts of the body. The effects are exasperated by smell- 
ing or handling the plant. Other persons handle and rub it, 
and even chew and swallow the leaves, with impunity. 

" The Poison Sumach is, perhaps, the most beautiful plant of 
the swamps." It is a shrub from eight to fifteen feet in height. 
The leaves are compound, having from three to thirteen leaf- 
lets, that are attached to the mid-rib without much if any stem, 
or, as the botanist terms it, " nearly sessile." The leaves are 
a dark-green, with a rich polish ; the veins of a purplish-red 
above, much paler, sometimes downy, beneath. 

The flowers, which are small and greenish-yellow, are in open, 
loose panicles, ten or twelve inches long, from the axils of the 



264 breck's book of flowers. 

leaves. These are succeeded by pendent clusters of whitish 
berries. The writer has had painful experience, in his younger 
days, of the bad influence of this plant upon his person, having 
been thoroughly poisoned a number of times by approaching 
it. I imagined that it would poison me when I came near 
the plant, even without a touch ; therefore, always carefully 
avoided it. 

R. toxicodendron. — Poison Ivy. — "This is a handsome 
climbing plant, and would be desirable for covering walls, 
trees, &c., were it not for its poisonous qualities. It is very 
hardy, frequent in moist or shady places, climbing over rocks, 
to which it attaches itself by numerous radicles, which pene- 
trate the investing lichens, or over bushes, or along the trunks 
of trees, often to a great height, fastening itself to the bark so 
firmly that it breaks more readily than it is detached, and so 
closely as to impede the growth of the plant. The leaves are 
smooth, and shining on both surfaces. The plant is poisonous, 
like the last, but in an inferior degree." 



RIBES. 

Currant. 

The Currant family is familiar to all, on account of the 
grateful and healthy fruit which some of the species produce. 
Some of the tribe are highly ornamental, and desirable in the 
shrubbery. 

Rihes sanguineum. — Eed-flowering Currant. — This is a 
very handsome ornamental species, producing pendent racemes 
of rich deep-red flowers, in May. The shrub is about three 
feet high; the foliage elegant. The plant is easily propagated 
by cuttings. I find it is rather tender, the extremities of the 
branches being often killed in this climate. Probably, if planted 
the north side of a wall, or where it is partially shaded with 
evergreens, it would succeed better. 

Ribes speciosa. — Crimson-flowering Currant. — The flowers 



ROBINIA. 265 

are a bright-crimson, far superior in brilliancy to sanguineum. 
It is not very common, and, like the last, somewhat tender. 

-R. fragra7is. — Fragrant Currant. — This, with the red- 
flowering varieties, are natives of North America. This spe- 
cies produces a profusion of yellow, fragrant flowers, in May, 
perfuming the whole region in its neighborhood. 

R. aureum. — Golden-flowered Currant. — A native of 
Missouri, is very much like the last ; all are propagated like 
the common Currant. 

R. sanguineum flore plena. — The Double Crimson Currant. 
— We have not seen this beautiful flower, but, according to 
Mr. Downing's description, it must be very desirable. He 
says : " This new and charming variety of the Crimson-flow- 
ering Currant, is a seedling from R. sanguineum, by Mr. David 
Dick, gardener to the Earl of Selkirk. It is but just intro- 
duced into this country, but since, like all the Currant genus, it 
is very easily propagated by cuttings, we hope speedily to see 
it in every good collection of shrubs. 

The blossoms are larger than the single variety, the racemes 
from three to six inches in length ; and the effect of the shrub, 
when laden, in spring, with their fine pendent blossoms, is very 
rich and striking. Its flowers open, according to Paxton's Mag- 
azine, about three weeks later than those of the parent species. 



ROBINIA. 

Locust. 

Robinia, in memory of Jean Robin, herbarist to Henry IV., 
of France. 

A North American genus of a few species of trees or 
shrubs, bearing a profusion of handsome, pea-shaped, flowers, in 
long, pendent racemes, and elegant compound leaves. 

Robinia pseaudacacia. — The Common Locust. — This is 
too well known to make it necessary to give a description. 
23 



266 breck's book of flowers. 

Were it not for the ravages of a species of borer, which at« 
tacks this tree, oftentimes destroying them, in a few years, it 
would be one of the finest in existence for the back-ground of 
a shrubbery. It is a. rapid grower, elegant foliage, fragrant, 
beautiful flowers, in great profusion, and very hardy. The 
blossoms are butterfly or pea-shaped, white, with yellow in the 
middle, produced in June and July. The insects are so 
destructive to it, that the trees soon become disfigured, losing 
their limbs, in consequence of the many perforations niade by 
these troublesome little creatures. 

Robinia viscosa. — Clammy-barked Locust. — This is a 
small tree, with large pale-pink flowers. The branches are 
covered with a gummy substance that is unpleasant to the 
touch. It looks well with other trees and shrubs. 

Robinia hispida. — Rose Acacia. — This is a beautiful flow- 
ering shrub, growing from three to ten feet high, bearing a 
great profusion of elegant rose-colored flowers, which are pro- 
duced in dense, pendent racemes. The shrub commences 
flowering when only two feet high. It has long, rambling 
roots, which throw up numerous suckers. The branches are 
thickly clothed with stiff hairs. This is a very desirable 
species. The foliage resembles the other species. 

Robinia crispa. — Crisp-leaved Robina. — This is a species 
or variety we imported last year, with others named below. 
It has very singularly curious and elegant leaves ; they 
are compound, like all the others, each leaflet being curiously 
and uniformly contorted, giving to the foliage a very unique 
and rich appearance. The others were R. inermis ; tertuoso, 
the branches all growing in a circular, zigzag style ; mac- 
rophylla, sophorafolia, dubia, volubilis, elegaTis and grandi- 
Jlora. The style of the leaves in all is the same ; only a few 
of them flowered, but all will be desirable, no doubt, for orna- 
ment, if they are not disturbed by the borers. 

The new sorts are propagated by grafting on the common 
varieties. 



ROSE. 267 

ROSA. 

Tlie Rose. 

This well-known and highly esteemed family of plants, or 

shrubs, embrace many distinct species, which, by the skill of 

the florist, have multiplied into thousands of varieties. They 

vary in height from one to twelve or fifteen feet, producing 

, flowers,* single, semi-double and double, and generally of ex- 

' qiiisite fragrance. The colors are, pure white, white-tinted, 
shaded, striped, or mottled; every shade of red to purple, and 
all these shades and colors variously mixed ; also a few, yellow 
varieties. There are no black roses, although we sometimes 
hear of them. Such as are sold for black roses are those of 

. dark shades of purple or crimson. The foliage is also various 

* in the different species or varieties, but of a general character. 
They are different also in the appendages to the plant, some 
having formidable thorns, while others are entirely destitute. 
Some flower only once in the season — others are perpetual, or 
everblooming. Most are hardy, but many require protection. 

._ It is a flower beloved by every one, not only in the present age, 
but has been in all ages past, and will no doubt continue to be 
the most prominent and desirable flower as long as the world 
stands. It may, with propriety, be styled the Queen ofjlowers. 
We have not space in this work to do justice to its merits, and 
must refer our readers, for the details of its culture, and for a 
mass of valuable and interesting particulars, to a work published 
by S. B. Parsons, of Flushing, near New York, constituting a 
volume of 2S0 pages, octavo, treating largely upon the Rose, 
which we heartily commend to all the lovers of this universal fa- 
vorite. Mr. Parsons treats of it historically, poetically, and scien- 
tifically, as well as in a practical manner. We must, of course, 
say something of the Rose ourselves poetically, — for who can 
dwell long upon this beautiful flower without some aspirations 

-of this kind? — but not having a faculty of soaring upon our 
own wings, we must cull from others, and finding in a work 



268 breck's book of flowers. 

entitled ^^Flora Domestica," all we desire under this head, we 
give the following copious extracts, which may not be unaccept- 
able to a portion of our readers at least : — 

" The Rose is preeminently the flower of love and poetry, 
the very perfection of floral realities. Imagination may have 
flattered herself that her power could form a more perfect 
beauty ; but, it is said, she never yet discovered such to mortal 
eyes. This, however, she would persuade us to be a mere 
matter of delicacy, and that she had the authority of Apollo for 
her secret success : 

' No mortal eye can reach the flowers, 



And 't is right just, for well Apollo knows 

'T would make the poet quarrel with the Rpse.' 

It is, however, determined, that until the claim of such veiled 
beauty, or beauties, shall rest upon better foundation, the Eose 
shall still be considered as the unrivalled Queen of flowers. 

' I saw the sweetest flower wild nature yields, 
A fresh-blown Musk Rose.' 

" It is said, however, that the angels possess a more beauti- 
ful kind of Rose than those we have on earth. David saw in 
a vision a number of angels pass by with gilded baskets in their 
hands. 

' Some as they went, the blue-eyed Violets strew, 
Some spotless Lilies in loose order threw ; 
Some did the way with full-blown Roses spread, 
Their smell divine, and color strangely red ; 
Not such as our dull gardens proudly wear, 
Whom weathers taint, and winds' rude kisses tear ; 
Such, I believe, was the first Rose's hue, 
Which at God's word in beauteous Eden grew; 
Q,ueen of the flowers that made that orchard gay, 
The morning blushes of the spring's new day.' 

Cowley. 

" The Rose, as well as the Myrtle, is considered as sacred to 
the Goddess of beauty. Berkley, in his Utopia, describes lov- 
ers as declaring their passion by presenting to the fair-beloved a 



ROSE. . 269 

Rose-bud just beginning to open ; if the lady accepted and wore 
the bud, she was supposed to favor his pretensions. As time 
increased the lover's affections, he followed up the first present 
by that of a half-blown Rose, which was again succeeded by one 
full-blown ; and if the lady wore this last, she was considered as 
engaged for life. 

"Poetry is lavish of roses; it heaps them into beds, weaves 
them into crowns, twines them into arbors, forges them into 
chains, adorns with them the goblet used in the festivals of 
Bacchus, plants them in the bosom of beauty, — nay, not only 
delights to bring in the Rose itself upon every occasion, but 
seizes each particular beauty it possesses as an object of com- 
parison with the loveliest works of nature : — as soft as a rose- 
leaf j as sweet as a rose ; rosy clouds ; rosy cheeks ; rosy 
lips ; rosy blushes ; rosy dawns, &c., &c. It is commonly 
united with the Lily : — 

' In the time that the morning did strew Roses and "Violets on the heavenly 
floor against the coming of the sun.' 

' A bed of Lilies flower upon her cheek. 
And in the midst was set a circling Rose.' 

'Rosed all in lovely crimson are thy cheeks, 
Where beauties indeflourishing abide, 
And as to pass his fellow either seeks, 
Seem both to blush at one another's pride.' 

" The Red Rose is said to have been indebted for its color to 
the blood which flowed from the thorn-wounded feet of Venus 
when running through the woods in despair for the loss of 
Adonis ; as the White Rose is also said to have sprung from 
the tears which the goddess shed upon that occasion. Ample 
reasons these for dedicating them to her. 

' White as the native Rose before the change, 
Whicii Venus' blood did in her leaves impress.' 

Anacreon tells us that it was dyed with nectar by the gods 

23* 



270 breck's book of floweks. 

when it was first formed ; he speaks of it, too, as the flower of 
Bacchus : — 

' With nectar drops, a ruby tide, 
The sweetly orient buds they dyed, 
And bade them bloom ; the flowers divine 
Of him who sheds the teeming vine.' 

Some say they were dyed with the blood of Cupid ; and 

' 'T is said, as Cupid danced among 



The gods, he down the nectar flung ; 
Which, on the white Rose being shed, 
Made it forever after red.' 

But the general opinion is, that the Eose is indebted to Venus 
for its beautiful blushes. 

"Perhaps the most beautiful season of the Rose is when 
partly blown ; then too she still promises us a continuance 
of delight ; but when full-blown, she inspires us with the fear 
of losing her, 

" Constance, expatiating on the beauty of her son, says, — 

' Nature and fortune joined to make thee great ; 
Of nature's gifts thou mayst with Lilies boast, 
And with the half-blown Rose.' 

" The bed of roses is not altogether a fiction. ' The Roses 
of the Sinan Nile, or garden of the Nile, attached to the Em- 
peror of Morocco's palace, are unequalled ; and mattresses are 
made of their leaves, for men of rank to recline upon.' 

" The Eastern poets have united the Rose with the nightin- 
gale ; the Venus of flowers with the Apollo of birds ; the Rose 
is supposed to burst forth from its bud at the song of the 
nightingale. 

" A festival is held in Persia, called the Feast of Roses, which 
lasts the whole time they are in bloom. 

' And all is ecstasy, for now 
The valley holds its Feast of Roses ; 



ROSE. 271 

That joyous time when pleasures pour 
Profusely round, and in their shower 
Hearts open, like the season's Rose, — 
The flowret of a hundred leaves. 
Expanding wliile the dew-fall flows, 
And every leaf its balm receives ! ' 

" ' Persia is the very land of Roses. — " On my first entering 
this bower of fairy land," says Sir Robert Kerr Porter, speaking 
of the garden of one of the royal palaces of Persia, " I was 
struck with the appearance of two Rose-trees, full fourteen feet 
high, laden with thousands of flowers, in every degree of ex- 
pansion, and of a bloom and delicacy of scent that imbued the 
whole atmosphere with exquisite perfume. Indeed, I believe 
that in no country in the world does the Rose grow in such 
perfection as in Persia ; in no country is it so cultivated and 
prized by the natives. Their gardens and courts are crowded 
by its plants, their rooms ornamented with vases filled with its 
gathered bunches, and every bath strewed with the full-blown 
flowers, plucked with the ever-replenished stems. * # # * 
But in this delicious garden of Negaaristan, the eye and the 
smell are not the only senses regaled by the presence of the 
Rose. The ear is enchanted by the wild and beautiful notes 
of multitudes of nightingales, whose warblings seem to in- 
crease in melody and softness with the unfolding of their 
favorite flowers. Here, indeed, the stranger is more powerfully 
reminded that he is in the genuine country of the nightingale 
and the Rose." — {Persia in Miniature, vol. iii.) 

" Sir "William Ouseley accompanied his brother, the am- 
bassador, on a visit to a man of high rank at Teheran ; and 
though there was a great profusion of meat and fruit at this 
entertainment, ' it might,' he says, 'have been styled the Feast 
of Roses, for the floor of the great hall, or open-fronted talar, 
was spread in the middle, and in the recess, with Roses forming 
the figures of cypress-trees ; Roses decorated all the candle- 
sticks, which were very numerous. The surface of the kawz, 
or reservoir of water, was completely covered with rose-leaves, 



272 breck's book of flowers. 

which also were scattered on the principal walks leading to the 
mansion.' 

" He says that the surface of this reservoir was so entirely- 
covered with rose-leaves, that the water was visible only when 
stirred by the air, and that the servants, during the entertain- 
ment, were continually scattering fresh Roses both upon the 
waters and the floor of the hall.* 

" We must not dismiss the subject of the Rose, without 
recalling to the minds of our readers those beautiful lines from 
Milton : — 

' Eve separate he spies, 

Veiled in a cloud of fragrance where she stood, 
Half spied, so thick the Roses blushing round 
About her glowed ; oft stooping to support 
Each flower of tender stalk, whose head, though gay 
Carnation, purple, azure, or speck'd with gold. 
Hung drooping unsustained ; them she upstays 
Gently with myrtle band, mindless the while 
Herself, though fairest unsupported flower. 
From her best prop so far, and storm so nigh.' 

" In two different poems, where Venus is represented, she has 
a crown of white and red flowers : — 

' I saw anone right her figure 
Nakid yfletyng in a se. 
And also on her hedde parde 
Her rosy garland white and redde.' 

' Then father Anchises decked a capacious bowl with garlands, and filled it 
up with wine.' — (Davidson^s Translation.) 

" ' To crown the bowl,' says Mr. Davidson, ' sometimes signi- 
fies no more than to fill the cup to the brim ; but here it is to 
be taken literally for adorning the bowl with flowers, according 
to the ancient custom. Otherwise, implevitque mero would be 
mere tautology.' Horace repeatedly speaks of crowning the 
bowl with Roses. 

" The Romans were at great expense to procure Roses in win- 

* See Sir W. Ouseley's Travels in the East, vol. iii., pp. 352 and 353. 



ROSE. 273 

ter ; Suetonius affirms that Nero spent upwards of 4,000,000 of 
sesterces, about thirty thousand pounds, for Roses, at one sup- 
per. Horace alludes to this custom in his thirty-eighth Ode, 
Book i. 

' Seek not for late-blowing Roses ; I ask no other crown than simple 
Myrtle.' 

"It is said that the Turks cannot endure to see a Rose-leaf 
fall to the ground, because, says Gerarde, ' some of them have 
dreamed that the first Rose sprang from the blood of Venus.' 

" It may, perhaps, be worth while to quote Gerarde's transla- 
tion of a passage from Anacreon, rather for its curiosity than 
beauty : — 

' The Rose is the honor and beauty of flowers, 
The Rose is the care and the love of the spring, 
The Rose is the pleasure of th' heavenly powers ; 
The boy of fair Venus, Cythera's darling, 
Doth wrap his head round with garlands of Rose, 
When to the dances of the Graces he goes.' 

"Many species of the Rose preserve their sweet perfume even 
after death ; as the poet observes in the following passage : — 

' And first of all, the Rose ; because its breath 
Is rich beyond the rest ; and when it dies, 
It doth bequeath a charm to sweeten death.' 

" The very essence of this sweet perfume is extracted from 
the flowers ; and the attar of Roses is dearer than gold : — 

* The Rose looks fair, but fairer we it deem 
For that sweet odor which doth in it live. 
The canker blooms have full as deep a dye 
As the perfumed tincture of the Roses, 
Hang on such thorns, and play as wantonly. 
When summer's breath their masked buds discloses. 
But, for their virtue only is their show, 
They live unmoved, and unrespected fade ; 
Die to themselves ; sweet Roses do not so ; 
Of their sweet deaths are sweetest odors made.' " 

" The Moss Rose, or Moss Provence Rose, is well known as 
an elegant plant. The flowers are deeply colored, and the rich 



274 breck's book of flowers. 

mossiness which surrounds them gives them a luxuriant ap- 
pearance not easily described ; but it is familiar to every one. 
It is a fragrant flower ; its country is not known to us, and we 
know it only as a double flower. 

" The origin of its mossy vest has been explained to us by a 
German %vriter : — 

' The angel of the flowers one day 
Beneath a Rose-tree sleeping lay : 
That spirit, to whose charge is given 
To bathe young huds in dews from heaven ; 
Awaking from his light repose. 
The angel whispered to the Rose : 
' O fondest object of my care, 
Still fairest found where all are fair, 
For the sweet shade thou 'st given to me, 
Ask what thou wilt, 't is granted thee.' 
' Then,' said the Rose, with deepened glow, 
' On me another grace bestow.' 
The spirit paused in silent thought ; 
What grace was there that flower had not ! 
' T was but a moment ; — o'er the Rose 
A veil of moss the angel throws, 
And, robed in nature's simplest weed, 
Could there a flower that Rose exceed ? ' " 

We now proceed to give some practical instruction in rela- 
tion to the Rose. 

Soil. — Roses will succeed well in any good garden soil ; but 
to have them in perfection, it is necessary that the soil be well 
enriched and deeply dug. The Rose, like the vine, is a gross 
^eeder, and is not injured by heavy manuring. In a poor, lean, 
shallow soil, it is impossible to bring out the beauties of any 
variety of the Rose. A strong, rich loam, or vegetable mould, 
with about one quarter of its bulk of well decomposed stable 
manure, is recommended by Parsons as a standard for the qual- 
ity of the soil in which to grow the Rose ; and if the soil of 
the garden, where the Rose is to be planted, difters materiallv 
from this, the requisite materials should be added, that it mr. 
approach as near as possible to that standard. In my own ex- 
perience, I have found that the more manure, if not an extrav- 



ROSE. . 275 

agant quantity, the better the bloom ; but, in addition to the 
quality and richness of the soil, a good depth is absolutely 
necessary. My general practice is to plant out roses in beds, 
which, for all the hardy roses, I prefer to do in November. 
First, the ground should be trenched two spades deep, and a 
liberal supply of stable, barnyard, or night-soil manure, with 
bone-dust incorporated with it, as the digging proceeds, but not 
buried too deep. I have not been very particular as to the 
quantity or quality of the manure. After the ground is settled, 
the Roses may be planted. Four feet each way is about the 
proper distance to plant the different varieties of Roses, in the 
rosery. 

Rivers recommends, as the best compost for Roses, rotten 
dung and pit sand for cold, clayey soils ; and for warm, dry 
soils, rotten dung and cool loams. He finds that night-soil, 
mixed with the drainings of the dunghill, or even with com- 
mon ditch or pond water, so as to make a thick liquid, the best 
possible manure for Roses, poured on the surface of the soil 
twice in the v/inter, one or two gallons to each tree. In our 
climate, it may be applied in November and in April. In my 
beds of established Roses, I cause manure from the stable to be 
applied to the surface of the ground about the bushes, in No- 
vember, which serves as a protection ; some of the tender sorts 
are fastened down and covered with the same. As soon as the 
ground is in a fit state to dig, in the spring, this manure is 
carefully incorporated with the surface soil, but not so as to 
injure the fibres or roots of the plants. A wet, retentive soil 
is injurious to the Rose, as I have found by sad experience ; 
but in a rich, dry loam my labors have been amply rewarded. 

When Roses are to be planted out singly, as many of the 
climbing sorts are, the soil should be dug out two and a half 
feet deep ; the bottom may be filled, to the depth of six inches, 
with small stones, or, what is better, with bones, and then filled 
up with prepared soil. 

Situatio7i. — The Rose will flourish in any situation where 
the soil is well prepared; but it is best to plant the Rose where 



276 breck's book of flowers. 

it can be shaded from the intensity of the mid-day sun. If it 
can be so located as to receive the morning and evening sun, 
and shaded during its greatest heat, the bloom will be more 
perfect, and continue longer. Some varieties are very delicate, 
and their blossoms are almost ruined by a full exposure. An 
eastern or northern exposure is, therefore, the best. Roses 
should not, however, be wholly shaded. 

Planting. — The best season for planting all the hardy Roses, 
as before stated, is in autumn; or, if necessary to defer till 
spring, it should be done as early as possible. If planted late in 
the spring, it will be best to cut the plants down to a few buds. 
Any time, after the first severe frost, is a proper time to com- 
mence planting. The plants should be taken up with great 
care, disturbing the roots as little as possible, remembering that 
the breaking of a single fibre diminishes the strength of the 
growth and future prosperity of the plant. Presuming that the 
ground is all ready, the holes should be dug somewhat larger 
than the roots. When the planting is completed, the plant should 
stand but a very little lower than it stood before in the ground. 
The operation of placing the roots and fibres should be done 
with the nicest care. In my fall planting, I place the plant in 
an oblique direction, so that the plants may be easily bent down 
and covered. Fall-planted roses are liable to be more or less 
winter-killed, which is prevented, if covered with coarse litter, 
or manure. 

We have seen Pillar Roses, in the grounds of Mr. Charles 
Hoffman, of Salem, — which, without protection, are liable to be 
killed down to within two or three feet of the ground, — grown 
in great magnificence, forming beautiful pyramids of Roses from 
twelve to fifteen feet high. We had never seen the Pillar Rose 
in such perfection. They were the same varieties which in 
our own ground did not exceed more than five or six feet, as 
the greater part of the new wood is every winter-killed down. 
We were informed that the supports to which these Roses were 
trained, consisting of nothing more than three or four strong 



ROSE. 277 

spruce poles, were taken away in autumn, and the plants laid 
down and covered with earth, or coarse manure. 

The only time to plant tender Roses, as far north as Boston, 
is in the spring. The China, Bengal, and Tea Roses may be 
grown in the open ground, in New England, if they are taken 
up in autumn. They may be kept in a dry, cool cellar, with 
the roots packed in loam or sand ; or they may be laid in by 
the heels, on a dry knoll, and covered with earth, where they 
will remain secure till spring. In planting them out, they 
should be cut down to a few buds, and they will bloom after 
the summer Roses have passed away, provided the roots were 
taken up well. In replanting Roses, the roots should be care- 
fully examined, and all broken or bruised parts should be cut 
off^ with a sharp knife. 

A young, healthy plant is much better than one that is old 
and overgrown, to plant out ; indeed, old plants should be 
rejected. 

Plantations of Roses should be made to succeed each other. 
In the second and third years after planting, the Rose will be in 
its greatest perfection. After the plants become old, they do 
not do so well ; and I have found, in my own experience, that 
five years was long enough to continue the plantation. It is 
best then to prepare a new place, or, in fact, it should be pre- 
pared, and the new plantation made, a year before the old one 
is given up, as a general and perfect bloom cannot be expected 
the first year. 

It is becoming fashionable, at the present time, to plant out 
Roses in masses, which have a fine effect, where the white, the 
crimson, or other distinct colors, are planted by themselves. 
Many of the strong-growing sorts are suitable for planting with 
other shrubs in the shrubbery. 

Pruning. — Roses, in this climate, should be pruned early 
in the spring. For Roses that are grown as dwarfs, it is neces- 
sary to prune them down to a few buds ; all the old wood, and 
the weak, last year's growth, should be taken entirely away 
The young wood generally produces the finest flowers, which, 
24 



278 breck's book of flowers. 

when properly pruned, are larger and much more double than 
when the bushes are suffered to grow at random. 

In pruning climbing Roses, the operation must be different, as 
it is necessary to retain the whole length of the most vigorous 
shoots, cutting out all the old wood that will not be likely to 
produce fine flowers, and pruning down the lateral branches to 
one eye. The manner of pruning must, in a measure, depend 
upon the variety of the Rose, and more particularly upon the 
style in which it is to be trained. This must be left to the 
ingenuity and taste of the cultivator ; and whether it is to be 
trained to a trellis, over an arch, pillar, or in whatever shape 
it is wanted, the proper way will generally suggest itself. 

Propagation. — The Rose is propagated in various ways. 
Some varieties succeed well by cuttings, as the China and 
many of the tender Roses ; but, with most of the hardy kinds, 
this is not often resorted to except by skilful gardeners. 

By Layers. — All the summer-blooming Roses may be prop- 
agated in this way. It can be performed in midsummer, and 
for several weeks afterwards. Young shoots, at least one foot 
long and well matured, should be selected for this purpose. 
The mode of operation is the same as in all shrubby plants. 
The soil should be well dug about the plant, and increased by 
a little fresh loam, well enriched with rotten manure, raised 
about it, so as to form a little bed. Proceed, then, with the 
usual process of layering, "by making a slit with a sharp knife 
just below a bud, making a slanting cut, upwards and length- 
wise, about half through the branch, forming a tongue from one 
to two inches long, on the back part of the shoot, right opposite 
the bud. A chip, or some of the soil, can be placed in the 
slit to prevent it from closing, and the shoot can then be care- 
fully laid and pegged down at a point some two or three inches 
below the cut, keeping, at the same time, the top of the shoot 
some three or four inches out of the ground, and making it fast 
to a small stake to keep it upright." The prepared shoot 
should be buried about three or four inches deep. Great care 
will be necessary to prevent the branch from injury. The 



ROSE. 279 

ground over the layer should be covered with moss, or coarse 
manure, or some substance to screen it from the sun. In some 
varieties, the layers will be sufficiently rooted in autumn ; but 
in many kinds, particularly the hardy perpetuals, they will not 
be sufficiently established to separate from the parent plant till 
the autumn following. 

By Suckers. — Many varieties of Roses are inclined to throw 
up suckers. "With these sorts there is no difficulty in increas- 
ing the stock. These should be taken off with as much root as 
possible, every autumn, and planted out in nursery rows, or 
where they are to remain, if strong plants. The parent plant 
is also very much benefited by this operation. 

Budding. — All the varieties of the Rose can be propagated 
by budding, and, to increase new and rare varieties, this mode 
is always resorted to. There are some sorts, naturally weak, 
which flower much more perfectly when budded on some strong- 
growing species ; but we hate a budded Rose-bush, and will not 
have one in our grounds if we can get them on their own roots. 
It requires much care and attention to keep them in order, as 
the stock is continually throwing up suckers, drawing all the 
nourishment from the budded variety. Where there are but 
few varieties, and a skilful gardener to look after the plants, 
there is no doubt but that it is desirable to have some varieties 
on strong-growing stocks. We were not a little amused, a few 
years since, upon a visit at the house of a horticultural friend, 
who, by the way, was better acquainted with the management of 
'his fruit trees than he was with the flower-garden. His garden 
was well laid out and kept very neat. He was taking me 
round to show the various plants, and getting what information 
he could out of one he supposed knew more than he did about 
them. Presently he came to a wilderness of the French Dog 
Roses. " There," says he, " is a lot of the choicest Roses that 
could be obtained in France." " Indeed," says I, " they certainly 
look very vigorous." " They do, to be sure," he replied ; "but 
somehow or other they look very much alike, and the few 
that flowered this year were very single." " That is very prob- 



280 breck's book of flowers. 

able," I replied, " for Dog Koses have great resemblance to each 
other, and are always smgle." Great was his surprise, when I 
convinced him that the Roses he had imported and cultivated 
with so much care, were only suckers from the stocks on which 
his imported Roses were budded. He had planted them out, 
supposing they were on their own roots, and had not perceived 
the necessity of keeping down the suckers. 

Tree Roses. — The Tree Rose is a beautiful object when in 
bloom. It is formed by inoculating the desired variety upon a 
standard, some four or five feet in height, generally the Dog 
Rose, as it is called in France, or the Eglantine. Many have 
been imported from France, and succeed well the first or second 
year ; but from some cause they soon die. Either the severity 
of our winters, or our powerful summers' sun, causes their 
death. 

New varieties are produced from seed raised from flowers, 
which have been crossed with others of opposite characters ; 
but none but amateurs will attempt this, so this mode of propa- 
gation will not be dwelt upon. 

Of the diseases of the Rose, and of the insects that infest it, 
we shall have something to say in another place. 

GARDEN CLASSIFICATION OF ROSES. 

On the subject of Classification of Roses, there have been 
much difficulty and confusion among amateurs ; and even 
Rivers himself, one of the most correct of Rose amateurs in 
England or France, remarks : " Within the last ten years, 
how many plants have been named and unnamed, classed and 
unclassed ! Professor A. placing it here, and Dr. B. placing it 
there ! I can almost imagine Dame Nature laughing in her 
sleeve, when our philosophers are thus puzzled. Well, so it is, 
in a measure, with Roses ; a variety has often equal claims on 
two classes. First impressions have placed it in one, and there, 
rival amateurs should let it remain." 

We are pleased with Mr. Parsons's classification, as being 
the most simple of any we have seen, and also as distinctive 



ROSE. 281 

as possible, in a family so intermixed as the different varieties 
or species appear to be. We shall, therefore, give his system 
entire. 

After speaking of the great confusion that has arisen in Rose 
nomenclature, he says : — 

" If there exists, then, this doubt of the proper class to which 
many Roses belong, we think it would be better to drop entirely 
this sub-classification, and adopt some more general heads, 
under one of which every Rose can be classed. It may often 
be difficult to ascertain whether a Rose is a Damask, a Provence, 
or a Hybrid China ; but there can be no difficulty in ascertain- 
ing whether it is dwarf or climbing, whether it blooms once or 
more in the year, and whether the leaves are rough as in the 
Remontants, or smooth as in the Bengals. We have, there- 
fore, endeavored to simplify the old classification, and have 
placed all Roses under three principal heads, viz. : 

" I. Those that make distinct and separate periods of bloom 
throughout the season, as the Remontant Roses. 

" II. Those that bloom continually, without any temporary 
cessation, as the Bourbon, China, &c. 

" III. Those that bloom only once in the season, as the 
French and others. 

" The first of these includes only the present Damask and 
Hybrid Perpetuals, and for these we know no term so expres- 
sive as the French Reinontaiit. Perpetual does not express 
their true character. 

" The second general head we call Everhlooming. This is 
divided into five classes : 

" 1. The Bourlon, which are easily known by their luxuri- 
ant growth, and thick, large, leathery leaves. These are, 
moreover, perfectly hardy. 

" 2. The China, which includes the present China, Tea, and 
Noisette Roses, which are now much confused, as there are 
many among the Teas which are not tea-scented, and among 
the Noisettes which do not bloom in clusters. They are, more- 
over, so much alike in their growth and habit, that it is better 
24# 



282 breck's book of flowers. 

each should stand upon its own merits, and not on the charac- 
teristics of an imaginary class. 

" 3. Musk, known by its rather rougher foliage. 

" 4. Macartney, known by its very rich, glossy foliage, almost 
evergreen. 

" 5. Microphylla, easily distinguished by its peculiar foliage 
and straggling habit. 

" The third general head we divide into five classes : 

" 1. Garden Roses. This includes all the present French, 
Provence, Hybrid Provence, Hybrid China, Hybrid Bourbon, 
White, and Damask Roses, many of which, under the old 
arrangement, differ more from others in their own class than 
from many in another class. 

" 2. Moss Roses, all of which are easily distinguished. 

" 3. Brier Roses, which will include the Sweet Brier, Hy- 
brid Sweet Brier, and Austrian Brier. 

" 4. The Scotch Rose. 

" 5. Climbing Rose ; which are again divided into all the 
distinctive subdivisions." 

ROSES THAT BLOOM DURING THE WHOLE SEASON. 

Remontant Roses. — " The term Remontant," says Mr. Par- 
sons, " signifying, literally, to grow again, we have chosen to 
designate this class of Roses, there being no word in our lan- 
guage equally expressive. Thej'were formerly called Damask 
and Hybrid Perpetuals, but are distinguished by their peculiar- 
ity of distinct and separate periods of blootn. They bloom with 
the other roses in early summer, then cease for a while, then 
make a fresh bloom, and thus through the summer and autumn, 
differing entirely from the Bourbon and Bengal Roses, which 
grow and bloom continually through the summer." This class 
of Roses require longer time to establish themselves from layers 
than any others, as they are not often fit to detach from the old 
plant till the second year. Budding is resorted to for extensive 
propagation Avith this class. Some of the varieties, when 



ROSE. , 283 

grown upon their own roots, do not do justice to themselves ; 
but when worked on strong-growing stocks, grow much more 
luxuriantly, and give more perfect flowers. Mr. Parsons has 
described two hundred varieties of Roses from the various 
classes of those sorts he thinks most desirable for the amateur 
to select from. There are but few persons who will be dis- 
posed to cultivate that number. His selection is a very choice 
one, and I should hardly know myself which to reject. Fifty 
varieties, well chosen from the various classes, are as many as 
most persons, unless they have money enough and to spare, 
would be likely to cultivate ; and the great majority would 
probably be happy to possess half that number. We would 
recommend Prince Albert, Madam LafTay, Rivers, Duchess of 
Sutherland, Crimson Perpetual, William Jessie, La Reine, and 
Robin Hood, for a small collection. When a large number are 
wanted, we refer to Parsons' selection and various catalogues. 

Everblooming Roses. — These roses are distinguished from 
the Remontant, by blooming continually through the season, 
without any temporary cessation. They include the Bourbon, 
the Bengal and its sub-varieties, the Tea and Noisette, the 
Musk, the Macartney, and the Microphylla Roses." 

The Everblooming Roses are very desirable, wherever the 
climate rentiers it possible to preserve them through the winter. 
As far north as Boston, the greater part of them can only be 
cultivated to perfection in the green-house, but further south, 
they endure the winter, even, without protection. 

Bourbon Roses. — This section of the Everblooming Roses 
have succeeded in my own grounds ; but, from appearances, I 
should think they could not be trusted out much further north, as 
I find the tops frequently killed down nearly to the ground. Mr. 
Parsons says they are perfectly hardy with him, (Long Island,) 
which is much warmer than in this State. He says, in speak- 
ing of it as having superior qualities to the Tea-scented Rose, 
" These qualities are, its perfect hardiness, its very thick, 
leathery foliage, its luxuriant growth, its constant bloom, and 
its thick, velvety petals of a consistency to endure even the 



284 breck's book of flowers. 

burning heat of a tropical sun." Some fine varieties are, 
Paul Joseph, Queen, Emilie Courtier, Bouquet de Flore, and 
Madame Desprez. This last has proved the most tender, 
and will not stand out here in the open ground. 

China Roses. — This class of Roses we must set down as the 
proper inhabitants of the green-house, in this section of the 
country ; although, by planting in frames, taking up the plants 
and laying them in the ground in a dry place, or preserving 
them in a dry, cool cellar, they will do very well to plant out 
in the spring, and make a fine bloom after the summer Roses 
have passed away. Mr. Parsons remarks, that, " next to the 
Bourbon, this is perhaps the most valuable class of Roses ; but in 
this climate they need protection from the cold. This, however, 
can be easily afforded by salt, hay, or straw." I have tried to 
keep this class of Roses in the open ground, by protection of 
all kinds, but unfortunately their location was rather too wet 
in winter ; perhaps, in a dry, loamy soil, they would succeed 
better. Further south, this is a most desirable class for out- 
door culture. 

Tea and Noisette Roses. — What has been said in relation 
to the tenderness of the China Roses, will apply to the Tea 
and Noisette Roses. " The Tea and Noisette Roses have been 
generally classed distinct from the China." " They are, how- 
ever, but varieties of the latter ; and there is so much confu- 
sion in the old classification, that the amateur is frequently 
misled. Many of the Roses now classed among the China, 
have a strong tea scent, and many of the present Tea Roses 
have very little fragrance. The characteristic of the Noisette 
Rose is understood to be its cluster-blooming habit." The 
Southern States must be the congenial climate for the whole 
class of China and Tea Roses. The author of the work 
already alluded to, however, says, " They will endure our win- 
ters, with the thermometer at zero, but it is better to protect 
them by means of straw and hay, or of boards upon low stakes. 
Perhaps the least troublesome way of protecting them, is to 
have one or more hot-bed frames, six feet by twelve, and about a 



ROSE. 285 

foot and a half or two feet deep. This can be set several inches 
in the ground, and litter of any kind placed around the sides. 
The Eoses can bo carefully taken up, and planted in this frame 
as thick as they will stand. The top can then be covered with 
boards, a little slanting, to carry off the rain, and the plants will 
be sufficiently protected. If the weather is severe, some litter 
can also be placed on the top." This class of Roses is so de- 
sirable that if, by any means, they can be protected without the 
expense of a green-house, it will be a great desideratum. For 
China Roses, we would name, Mrs. Bosanquet, Madame Breon, 
Grandiflora and Daily Blush. For Tea Roses, Eliza Sauvage, 
Marshal Bugeaud, Safrano,Triomphe de Luxembourg, and Prin- 
cess Adelaide. For Noisettes, the fine yellow Cromatella, Aimee 
Vibert, Ne Plus Ultra, Lamarque, Jaune Desprez and Pactole. 

Musk Roses. — The Musk Rose stands pretty well here, in a 
warm, dry situation, but, in wet ground, rather tender. In the 
latitude of Long Island, Mr. Parsons says it is quite hardy, 
having a plant of the old White Musk, that has braved the 
severity of more than twenty winters, in his grounds. " It has 
already, this season, made shoots of more than six feet; and in 
our Southern States more than double the growth would prob- 
ably be attained." It produces its flowers in large clusters. 
We are familiar with the old white cluster, which commences 
flowering late, and continues till cold weather. Other fine 
varieties are, Eponine, and Princess of Nassau. 

Macartney Roses. — " This Rose was brought from China to 
England, by Lord Macartney, in 1793. Its habit is luxuriant, 
and its foliage is more beautiful than of any other Rose, its 
leaves being thick, and of a rich glossy-green." As to hardi- 
ness, it is about the same as the China Rose. " It is one of the 
most desirable Roses for beds or borders. When covering the 
whole ground, and kept well pegged down, its rich, glossy 
foliage, gemmed with fragrant flowers, produces a fine effect." 
The two best varieties are Alba odorata and Maria Leonida. 

Microphylla Roses. — " This Rose came originally from the 
Himalayan Mountains, and was brought to Europe in 1823." 



286 breck's book of flowers. 

It has not proved hardy with me, but with Mr. Parsons " it 
has endured the winter for tlie past two years, without protec- 
tion, losing only a portion of the top of its shoots. Its 
foliage is small and singular, and its growth very robust." 

ROSES THAT BLOOM ONLY ONCE IN THE SEASON. 

" For want of a better, we use this term to designate all those 
Eoses that bloom only once in the season, and that strongly 
resemble each other in habit and flower. It includes those 
classes called, by rose-growers, French, Provence, Hybrid Pro- 
vence, Hybrid China, Hybrid Bourbon, White and Damask 
Roses." We refer our readers to Mr, Parsons' work, for many 
interesting particulars in relation to this classification, and for a 
select list of Roses, coming under this head. During the sea- 
son of the flowering of the Rose, we noted a few varieties as 
being very fine, among which were the following : — 

White Roses. — White Unique, Madame Hardy, Madame 
Plantier, Ball of Snow, and Princess Clementine. The old- 
fashioned White Rose should not certainly be forgotten, as it is 
associated with childhood. It is one of the three first Roses that 
opened their buds to the writer. Who can forget the old White 
Rose, as it was trained up the side of the house ? We have 
seen a rose-bush, of this variety, trained fifteen feet high. 

White Roses, Striped, Mottled, or Shaded. — Painted 
Damask, Margin Globe, Modeste, New Village Maid, Old Vil- 
lage Maid. 

Rose-colored. — Franklin Provence, Las Casas, Caroline 
Mignonne, Triomphe of Breslau, Perpetual de Angers. 

Deep-red. — Velours Episcopal, Cerise Superb, Fulgens, 
29th of July, Brennus, La Fontaine, &c. 

Purple and Dark Roses. — Mirabella, Gen. Thiers, Gen. 
Lamarque, Bell Thurette, Madame Camper, &c. 

This list might be extended, but I have given enough, proba- 
bly, to select from. 

Moss Roses. — This is a well-known and elegant class of 



ROSE. 287 

Koses, of which the common Moss is about the only one that is 
very familiar. The Luxembourg Moss has dark crimson-cupped 
flowers, and is a vigorous grower. Perpetual White Moss is 
handsome only in bud. It produces a large cluster of beauti- 
ful mossy buds, but the flowers are inferior. It is not properly 
a perpetual, but produces a long succession of buds. The 
White Bath Moss has fine white flowers, which are sometimes 
lightly striped with pink. 

Princess Adelaide is one of the most vigorous-growing Moss 
Roses, and would be one of the varieties we should recom- 
mend. 

Cristata, or crested, is a singular and beautiful variety. Ex- 
cepting when in bud, it does not have the appearance of a Moss 
Rose. The calyx has a beautiful crested appearance. " In a 
rich soil, this fringe-like crest most beautifully clasps and sur- 
mounts the bud, and gives the rich clusters a truly elegant ap- 
pearance. Its form is globular, and its color rose." Other 
varieties recommended are, Alice Leroy, Crimson, Catharine 
de Wurtemburg, Celina, Eclatante, Lancel, Prolific, Unique 
de Provence, and Zoe. 

Scotch Roses. — This class of Roses are distinguished by 
their small leaves, prickly stems, abundant bloom, delicate 
habits, early bloom. They flower about two weeks before the 
summer Roses. They are suitable for growing in masses, or 
borders, and the shrubbery. The original, from which all the 
varieties sprang, was found growing wild in Scotland and the 
north of England. In some of the catalogues two or three 
hundred varieties are described, but many of them are so near 
alike, it would be difficult to see the difference. Mr. Parsons 
says there are scarcely forty or fifty, distinct; and of these he 
recommends, as the three best, the Countess of Glasgow, Queen 
of May, and William the Fourth. 

Brier Roses. — " These Roses are distinguished by their 
small, rough foliage, and brier habit. They include the Sweet 
Brier, the Hybrid Sweet Brier, and the Austrian Brier." 

The Sweet Brier is a native of Europe, and found abun- 



288 breck's book of flowers. 

dantly in some parts of this country. Mr. Emerson supposes 
that it was introduced int» this country, and now has become 
naturalized ; the seeds having probably been disseminated by 
birds. 

The Double Yellow Provence Rose is supposed to have had 
its origin from the Austrian Brier. It is an old inhabitant of 
some gardens, but a very shy bloomer, showing its flowers very 
sparing, and, some years, none. We have seen the bushes 
bending with their load of flowers. They are large, very double, 
of a pale-yellow. On account of its peculiar habits, it is not 
worth its room in the garden. Copper Austrian " is a very sin- 
gular-looking Rose, blooming well in this climate, is of a cop- 
pery-red, and the outside inclining to pale-yellow, or sulphur." 
It has single flowers, but they are truly beautiful. The Yellow 
Harrison Rose was considered a great acquisition, a few years 
since, but this is now entirely eclipsed by the Persian Yellow. 
Its flowers are more double, and of a more brilliant yellow, than 
the Harrison ; and this is the only hardy yellow Rose we know of, 
really worth growing, except the Copper Austrian. The flowers 
of the Austrian Roses are produced on short joints all along the 
stem ; they will not, therefore, bear much pruning. 

The common Sweet Brier is worthy a place in every garden, 
on account of its exquisite fragrance. In pruning this section 
of the class, the old wood only should be cut out. 

" Double-margined Hip is a Hybrid Sweet Brier, of luxuri- 
ant growth, almost adapted to a pillar. Its form is cupped, and 
its color creamy-white, shaded with pink." 

Climbing Roses. — The Climbing Roses may be divided into 
four or five sub-classes, viz., Boursalt, Ayrshire, Prairie, Hy- 
brid China, Noisette or Bourbon, and Miscellaneous. In the 
Miscellaneous class, the old-fashioned Cinnamon may be 
placed, not knowing where else to put it; and it should 
most assuredly have a place somewhere, " for auld lang syne," 
if nothing more. It deserves a place in the shrubbery, on ac- 
count of its early flowering and profuse bloom. It opens its 



ROSE. 289 

blossoms the last of May, in this climate, and, with a little 
attention, will make a bush ten or twelve feet high. 

Boursalt Roses. — The Boarsalt Roses come next in bloom 
after the Cinnamon. They are all desirable on account of 
their hardy character and vigorous growth. " Their smooth 
bark renders them desirable for stocks to bud upon." For the 
extreme north, this whole class, next to the Prairie, are the 
most desirable for pillars and trellises. 

Amadis is one of the handsomest of the Boursalt Roses, 
producing its large purplish-crimson flowers in pendulous clus- 
ters. 

For distant effect, the Common Purple Boursalt is not with- 
out its merits. The flowers are semi-double, but are produced 
in immense numbers ; and, then, it is very hardy. 

De Lesle, or Blush Boursalt. — This is one of the earliest of 
the sub-class, producing large blush flowers, with a deep rose 
centre, and perfectly double. All the Boursalts have quite 
smooth stems, but none more so than the Thornless Rose, which 
comes into bloom soon after the Cinnamon. Its stems are per- 
fectly smooth; it makes a stout bush, ten or twelve feet high, 
and is covered with a profusion of pretty pink roses. This is 
suitable for the shrubbery. The Old White Rose makes 
a handsome bush for training. The flowers are semi-double, 
of a fine rose-white, and, when properly managed, in rich soil, 
will grow twelve to fifteen feet high. 

Prairie Roses. — Samuel Feast, Esq., of Baltimore, has the 
honor of originating the first Prairie Rose, — the Queen of the 
Prairies, — for which the Massachusetts Horticultural Soci- 
ety awarded him their large gold medal, as a special premium. 
This is the type of a new class of hardy Roses, and proves to 
be a most valuable acquisition for the North, it being as hardy 
as the oak. The tribe bloom after the summer Roses are 
passed. 

Queen of the Prairies is a most superb variety of Rosa riibi- 
folia, a native of the West, sometimes known as the Michigan 
Kose. This is Mr. Feast's first seedling, and considered by 
25 



290 breck's book of flowers. 

some the best. The flowers are of a deep rose color, with a 
white stripe in the centre of each petal. They have a peculiar 
globular, cap-shaped form. This variety is the most luxurious 
grower of any of the class, making a surprising growth in rich 
soil. The flowers of all the varieties are produced in clusters. 

Baltimore Belle. — The flowers are a pale, waxy blush, 
almost white, very double, in large clusters ; like the other, 
perfectly hardy, 

Eosa superba has pale, delicate blush roses, in large clusters, 
the flowers not so large as the Baltimore Belle. 

Perpetual Pink produces flowers in great profusion, which, 
continue in long succession ; rather small, but in large clusters, 
varying from light-pink to purple. In addition to those de- 
scribed, there are many other varieties equally desirable, and 
new sorts are every year produced. This class of Roses lack 
one important quality, that is, fragrance. 

Ayrshire Roses. — This family of Roses are great ramblers, 
producing a long, slender, luxuriant growth ; but, in a northern 
climate, they cannot be relied on as being perfectly hardy, un- 
less laid dow^n and covered over. They produce very pretty 
flowers, in clusters, mostly white. They are desirable for cov- 
ering " unsightly places, old buildings and decayed trees." 
"The Ayrshire Roses are also valuable for weeping trees. 
When budded on some stock eight or ten feet high, the 
branches quickly reach the ground, and, protecting the stem by 
their close foliage, present a weeping tree of great beauty, 
loaded with flowers." 

Some of the most desirable varieties are the Dundee Ram- 
bler ; flowers in large clusters, white, edged with pink, and the 
double blush. 

Hybrid China, Bourbons, ^-c. — Of this class there are many 
varieties, suitable for pillars, or poles, but which it will be the 
safest course to be careful of in the winter, in the New Eng- 
land States. In climbing Roses, length is an important feat- 
ure ; and if these hybrids are left without protection, they 
may lose a large portion of the new wood, unless laid down 



ROSE. 291 

and covered over. Rivers's George the Fourth is a Hybrid 
China ; grows about ten feet high ; flowers large, of a very 
rich crimson color. This is also a fine dwarf Rose, when 
pruned down, and, like most of the Hybrid China, stands per- 
fectly well in the open ground, but the tops are always winter- 
killed here. 

Belle Theresa. — Hybrid China. — A rampant grower, with 
rich dark purple-crimson flowers, in clusters, under medium 
size. 

Fulgens, — Hybrid China, — has beautiful bright scarlet- 
cupped flowers. 

Gloire de Rosemene. — Bourbon. — This fine Rose gives a 
succession of fine bright crimson-scarlet flowers, but rather 
tender. 

Brennus, — Hybrid China, — has large bright scarlet-crim- 
son flowers. 

Blanchfleur. — Hybrid China. — Pure white ; of a very 
double and compact form, and an abundant bloomer ; about six 
feet high. 

Madame d'Arblay. — Hybrid climber, of great luxuriance, 
flowers white, in exuberant clusters ; too tender for the North. 

La Tourterelle, or Dove Rose, — Hybrid China, — a very 
luxuriant grower, but succeeds well as a dwarf Rose, when 
pruned down. The flowers are large, cup-shaped, of a pur- 
plish-lilac or dove color. 

Phillipar, — Noisette, or Bourbon, — admired for its profu- 
sion, and peculiar rosy-lilac Ifue of the flowers, blooming with- 
out intermission from June to November. 

Of the Hybrid Perpetual Roses, suitable for training, are 
Madame Laffay, blooming three or four times in the season, 
with bright rosy flowers ; Prince Albert, already named, with 
large flowers, of a ricl;^ crimson color and perfect shape ; and 
Youland d'Arragon, with fine, deep flowers. There are some 
of this class that can be made to grow in rich grounds five to 
six feet high. 

In planting climbing Roses, they should always be cut down 



292 breck's book of flowers. 

to within a few inches of the ground, as it is important to get 
a clean, vigorous growth for the next year's bloom. Another 
important matter is, to dig the ground deep and have it thor- 
oughly enriched. A third is, in pruning. The wood of climb- 
ing Roses does not produce so fine flowers after it is two years 
old. It is necessary, therefore, to encourage the growth of one 
or more new shoots every year, cutting out the old Avood as fast 
as there is new to supply its place. The lateral branches are 
to be pruned in, while the main stems are to be kept the 
whole length. 

We had almost forgot the Multiflora Rose, a class distinct 
from those already named ; they produce flowers in large clus- 
ters, but rather small. Some of the varieties are, the Cottage 
Rose, Laure Davoust, Garland, &c. In New England they 
are all rather tender. 

In closing our remarks on Roses, we cannot refrain from giv- 
ing Gerarde's account of it some two hundred and fifty years 
ago. His mode of classification was, among thorny plants. 
" This plant of Roses, though it be a shrub full of prickles, yet 
it had been more fit and convenient to have placed it with the 
most glorious flowers of the world, than to insert the same here, 
among base and thorny shrubs, for the Rose doth deserve the 
chiefest and most principled place among all flowers whatso- 
ever, being not only esteemed for its beauty, vertues, and his 
fragrant, odoriferous smell, but also because it is the honour and 
ornament of our English sceptre, as by the conjunction appear- 
eth in the uniting of those two m«)st royal houses of Lancaster 
and York. * ^ It is reported that the Turks can by no means 
endure to see the leaves of Roses fall to the ground, because 
that some of them have dreamed that the first or most ancient 
Rose did spring from the blood of Venus, and others of the Ma- 
hometans say, that it sprang from the sweat of Mahomet. * * 
The Holland, or Provence Rose hath divers shoots, proceed- 
ing from a woody root, full of sharp prickles, dividing itself 
into divers branches, whereon do grow leaves, consisting of five 
leaves set upon a single mid-rib, and those snip about the 



ROSE. 293 

edges ; the flowers do grow on the tops of the branches, in 
shape and color like the Damask Rose, but greater and more 
double, insomuch that the yellow chives in the middle are hard 
to be- seen; of a reasonable good smell, but not full so sweet as 
the common Damask Rose ; the fruit is like the other of his 
kinde." 

ON THE ODORS OF KOSES AND THE MODES OF OBTAINING THEM. 

*' Crop the gay Rose's vermeil bloom. 
And waft its spoils, a sweet perfume, 
In incenso to the skies." — Ogilvee. 

" Of their sweet deaths are sweetest odors made." 

Shakspeare. 

"This Queen of the garden loses not its diadem in the per- 
fuming world. The oil of roses, or, as it is commonly called, 
the otto or attar of roses, is abstracted by various processes 
from the Cabbage Rose in Turkey, Persia and India ; the finest 
is imported from Ghazepore, in the latter country. For obtain- 
ing it, the procurers at each place have their own mode of 
operation ; the best method, however, is to stratify the flowers 
with a seed containing a fat-oil ; they will absorb the essential 
oil of roses, and swell a good deal if the flowers are changed 
repeatedly. They are then pressed, and the product allowed to 
stand for a time ; the otto rises to the surface, and is finally 
purified by distillation. Pure otto of roses, from its cloying 
sweetness, has not many admirers ; it is, moreover, likely to 
produce headache and vertigo in this state ; when diluted, how- 
ever, there is nothing to equal it in odor, especially if mixed in 
soap, to form rose soap, or in the pure spirit form, 'Esprit de 
Bose.^ The former preparation not allowing the perfume to 
evaporate very fast, we are not so readily surfeited with the 
smell as in the latter. The finest preparation of Rose as an 
odor, is made at Grasse, in France ; here the flower is not 
treated for the otto, but simply by maceration in fat, as men- 
tioned with other flowers. 

" The Rose Pomade, thus made, if digested in alcohol, yields 
Esprit de Rose of the first order, very superior to that which is 
25^ 



294 breck's book of flowers. 

made by the addition of otto to spirit. It is difficult to account 
for this difference, but it is sufficiently characteristic to form a 
distinct odor. It is never sold by the perfumer ; he reserves this to 
form part of his recherche bouquets. Some wholesale druggists 
have, however, been selling it to country practitioners for them 
to form extemporaneous water, which it does to great perfec- 
tion. Roses are cultivated to a large extent in England, near 
Mitcham, in Surrey, for perfumers' use, to make rose-water; 
the odor of the English flower is not strong enough to use for 
any other purpose. Though the dried rose-leaves are used for 
scent-bags, they retain but little of their native fragrance. In 
the season when successive ci'ops can be got, they are gathered 
as soon as the dew is off, and sent up to town in sacks. When 
they arrive they are immediately spread out on a cool floor ; 
otherwise, if left in a heap, they will heat to such an extent in 
two or three hours, as to be quite spoiled; to preserve them for 
use they are immediately pickled ; fpr this purpose th€ leaves are 
separated from the stalk, and to every bushel of flowers, equal 
to six pounds, one pound of common salt is thoroughly rubbed 
in ; the whole becomes a pasty mass, and is finally stowed away 
in casks. In this way they will keep almost any length of 
time without seriously injuring their fragrance. For rose- 
water, which is best prepared from time to time, take 12 lbs. of 
pickled Roses, and 2| gallons of water, place them in a still, 
and draw off 2 gallons ; this product will be the ' double dis- 
tilled rose-water' of the shops." — English paper. 



RUBUS. 
Bramble. 

This genus embraces a class of rambling rough plants, well 
known and highly prized for their grateful, delicious, and whole- 
some fruits; the Raspberries, Blackberries, and Thimble-berries, 
with their varieties. The High Blackberry produces clusters 
of handsome white flowers, succeeded by delicious fruit, and 
when cultivated in the garden is much improved. 



6AMBUCUS SHEPARDIA. 295 

Ruhus odoratus. — The Flowering Raspberry. — This is the 
only ornamental variety ; found growing freely in mountainous 
districts in most parts of this State, " giving a charm to many 
a solitary spot by its large, rose-like flowers." The leaves are 
large and handsome. The fruit is inferior to the other species. 
It deserves a place among other shrubs. It should be planted 

in a shady place. 

-♦■ '- 

SAMBUCUS. 

Samhicus canadensis. — Common Elder. — This very common 
shrub grows about eight or ten feet high in low ground, and 
conspicuous in June and July for its broad cymes of white 
flowers, succeeded by clusters of small, dark-purple, or nearly 
black, berries. An infusion of the bruised leaves is used by 
gardeners to expel insects from vines. The flowers are highly 
esteemed, as having important medicinal qualities. The plant, 
on account of its ornamental flowers and berries, may be intro- 
duced into extensive shrubberies. 

Sambucus pubens. — Panicled Elder. — This species is not 
so common as the last. It is found in mountainous places, 
and is conspicuous on account of its bright-red berries, — other- 
wise destitute of beauty. 



SHEPARDIA. 
Buffalo Tree. 

Shepardia, named by ISuttall, in compliment to Mr. Thomas 
Shepard, of the Botanic Garden, Liverpool. 

Skepardia elegnoides. — Buffalo Tree. — This graceful shrub, 
or low tree, is found in the neighborhood of the Rocky Moun- 
tains, in large clumps, or clusters. It is eaten or broused by 
the Buffalo, from which it derives its common name. The 
tree is graceful in its appearance, growing from ten to thirteen 
feet high ; the branches are rather pendulous ; the leaves are 
small, of a soft, woolly nature, and have a silvery appearance. 



296 breck's book of flowers. 

It is male and female, on different plants. The brandies of 
the female trees are thickly studded with clusters of small 
crimson berries, nearly the size of the red currant. The fruit 
has a pleasant acid flavor, and is sometimes used for jelly or 
preserve. There is an astringent taste in addition to the acid, 
which makes the fruit of little value, in comparison with the 
common currant. For an ornamental tree or shrub, it deserves 
a place among other plants. It is beautiful fruit. Male and 
female plants should be ordered. The flowers cannot boast of 
much beauty. 

SPAETIUM. 
Broom. 

Spartimn, from Greek, signifying cordage ; the earliest 
ropes were made of this and similar plants. The species are 
shrubs, thick-set with verdant, flexible, rush-like twigs, which 
are very ornamental in winter, and generally profusely covered 
with showy white or yellow pea-shaped flowers in summer. 

Spartium scoparium. — Common Brown. — A very orna- 
mental shrub in garden scenery, producing a profusion of its 
showy blossoms. It is not very common in New England, as 
our winters are rather severe upon it. In the interior of the 
country, we find no difficulty in keeping it, when the snows are 
deep. If planted on the north side of a wall, and covered with 
snow, it will be found perfectly green in the spring, and flowers 
abundantly. 

SPIRiEA. 

SpircBa, in Greek, signifies a cord. Spireon is Pliny's name 
for a plant, the blossoms of which are used in garlands. The 
genus affords many ornamental shrubs, all very hardy, and 
easy to cultivate. 

SpircBa hypericifolia. — Hyperica-leaved Spiraea, or, St. Pe- 
ter's Wreath. — This is a very elegant shrub, producing its 



SPIRiEA. 297 

numerous small white flowers in long garlands, upon the deli- 
cate curving branches of the plant. The bush, when in flower, 
has the appearance of being covered with a light fall of snow. 
The foliage is elegant; it is in flower in May and June; 
grows about four feet high ; the extremities of the branches are 
sometimes winter-killed ; easily propagated by suckers, divis- 
ions of the root, or by layers, as all the species are. 

Spircsa opuUfolia. — Nine-Bark Spira3a. — " An ornamental 
native shrub, found from Canada to Georgia ; from five to 
seven feet high, distinguished for the abundance of its showy 
heads of flowers, and for its conspicuous fruit. The stem is 
rugged, with loose, gray bark, easily detached, and falling off". 
Flowers in hemispherical heads, on a short stalk, — each flower 
on a slender, downy thread ; white, with a rose tinge." 

Sjnrcpa salicifolia. — The Queen of the Meadows. — This is 
a very pretty shrub, from two to four, and sometimes six, 
feet high, with terminal heads of neat white, sometimes rose- 
tinted flowers, in June and July. 

SpircBa tomentosa. — Steeple Bush, — Hard-Hack. — This is 
a very common, leafy shrub, from two to five feet high, growing 
in wet ground, and distinguished in the flowering season for its 
long, tapering spire of purple flowers. A few years since we 
ordered all the handsome Spiraeas from England, excluding all 
that we possessed. When they came into flower, we found 
among them, this old, familiar country friend. It is, how- 
ever, handsome when cultivated and pruned of the previous 
year's stem, which disfigures it very much, when growing in the 
pastures. 

" This plant has very valuable astringent qualities, and is 
employed as a tonic in dysentery, and other disorders of the 
system." 

SpircBa priinifolia plena. — Double Prune-leaved Spiraea. — 
This is one of the most desirable species or varieties of the 
Spiraea, and is perfectly hardy. The following account is from 
the Gardener's Chronicle. " This charming shrub was intro- 
duced into Europe by Dr. Siebold, to whom our collections are 



298 breck's book of flowers. 

are indebted for so many novelties, only to be procured with 
the utmost difRculty, It deserves the attention of all amateurs, 
as well for its hardiness as its elegant habit and beautiful 
flowers. The Dutch traveller found it cultivated in the Japan- 
ese gardens, and supposes its native country to be Corea, or the 
north of China. It is a shrub, from six to nine feet high, and 
has upright, close, hushy, slender branches, which are covered 
with a smooth, ash-colored bark, that detaches itself at later 
periods in thin scales. The leaves are oval, or ovate elliptic, 
rounded at their base, obtuse or a little acute at their apex, 
downy beneath, denticulated at the edge. The flowers, which 
grow by threes or sixes, cover the whole length of the branches, 
are as white as snow, and very double, in consequence of a 
complete abortion of their stamens. Their shape is exactly 
like that of the Ranunculus aconitifolius with double flowers, 
and their number and arrangement, with a light and elegant 
bright-green foliage, render this plant a charming addition to 
the shrubs which grow in the native air." It flowers in this 
climate in May. 

S. Bouglassii. — Mr. Douglass's Spiraea. — This shrub is no- 
ticed by Mr. Downing, as a new species from California, hav- 
ino- some resemblance to S. tovientosa, flowering in the same 
manner ; flowers fine rosy-lilac, continuing in bloom from July 
till the autumnal frosts commence. This species flowered in 
our collection last year ; but, as the plants were not fully estab- 
lished, we could not judge of its merits. The resemiblance was 
so near to S. tomentosa, that we were unfavorably impressed 
with its appearance. 

S. sorbifolia. — Pinnate-leaved Spircea. — This is a vigorous 
shrub, a native of Siberia. It develops its handsome pinnate 
foliage very early in the spring. The leaflets are serrated, or 
with notched edges. The flowers are yellowish-white, pro- 
duced in large, dense panicles, in June. The flowers seem to be 
peculiarly attractive to the rose-bugs, which sometimes disfigure 
and spoil their beauty by the immense numbers which delight 
to revel in its sweets. This shrub propagates itself too fast, 



SPIRJEA. 299 

as it throws up its suckers in great profusion, and makes itself 
quite too common ; otherwise it would be a desirable plant for 
the shrubbery. 

S. Leila. — Pretty Spiraea. — This is a dwarf species, about 
three feet high, producing its beautiful pink flowers in little, 
dense hemispherical heads, in June ; a neat little shrub, worthy 
of a place in every collection. 

S. Reevesii. — Mr. Keeves's Spiraea. — We consider this one 
of the most elegant and desirable species of the whole family. 
The flowers are of a snowy whiteness, produced in clusters, the 
whole length of its graceful, arching stems, which, intermingled 
with the handsome foliage, produce a pleasing effect. The 
shrub is delicate in its growth, about four feet high, and flowers 
in June. It is propagated by cuttings, layers, and suckers. 

S. airifolia. — This is a very delicate species we have in our 
collection, with exceedingly graceful, airy-like foliage, with 
small heads of white flowers ; two or three feet high. 

S. IcBvigata. — Smooth-leaved Spiroea. — This species has 
smooth lanceolate leaves, without serrature or notch. The 
flowers are white, in compound racemes, somewhat fragrant. 
It is not very showy, but, in a collection, makes up a variety ; 
about two or three feet high. 

S. argentia. — Silver-striped-leaved Spiraea. — This very del- 
icate species has variegated leaves, with graceful, airy foliage, 
similar in its habits to airifolia ; flowers nearly the same. 

iS. trilobata. — Three-lobed-leaved Spiraea. — The leaves of 
this species are bluntly three-lobed, and toothed, or notched. 
The flowers are white, in stalked umbels, about three or four 
feet high. 

Take the species together, we do not know any genus of 
plants where the foliage is so diversified. When grouped 
together, they make a fine appearance, either in flower or 
foliage. There are many other species that have not come 
Under our observation, which, no doubt, are as valuable for the 
shrubbery as those described. 



300 breck's book of flowers. 

SYMPHOKIA. 

Snowberry. 

Symphoria is from a combination of Greek words, signifying 
" a plant which bears its fruit together in clusters." 

Symphoria racemosa. — Common Snowberry. — This is a 
delicate, hardy. North American shrub, extensively known and 
much cultivated on account of its fine white berries, which are 
quite ornamental, after the leaves have fallen. The flowers 
are pink, and rather inconspicuous ; the shrub grows about 
four feet high ; easily propagated by suckers. 

<S. glomerata. — Cluster-berried Symphoria, or Indian Cur- 
rant. — This has no claims to beauty, as to the flowers, which, 
like the last, are small and inconspicuous, of a pink color. 
These are succeeded by dark brownish-purple berries, which 
are thickly clustered upon the branches, three feet high. It is 
•propagated in. the same way. Both these species thrive in the 
shade and under the droppings of trees. 



SYRINGA. 

Lilac. 

"Various in array, now white, 
Now sanguine, and lier beauteous liead now set 
With purple spikes pyramidal." 

Syringa, — some say from Greek, an Arcadian nymph, or, 
more properly, here, a pipe. The tubes of the finest Turkish 
pipes are manufactured from the wood of it ; but the true root 
of the word is to be found in sirinx, its native name in Barbary. 
Lilac is a Persian word, signifying a flower. All the species 
are most beautiful flowering shrubs, readily propagated by 
suckers, which they throw up in abundance. The common 
Lilac seems to have been introduced before or during the reign 



TECOMA. 301 

of Henry VIII., for in the inventory, taken by the order of 
Cromwell, of the articles in the gardens of the palace of Non- 
such, are mentioned six Lilacs, — " trees which bear no fruit, 
but only a pleasant smell." — [Loudon.) 

Syringa vulgaris. — The Common Lilac. — This is so well 
known that it needs no description. The purple variety is 
found in almost every garden; the white is more scarce. 
Grown together, they are very beautiful; and, notwithstanding 
they are old-fashioned, common, and vulgar, with some people, 
we esteem them as some of our most valuable and ornamental 
shrubs of the season. 

S. Per ska. — Persian Lilac. — This species is "far more 
delicate and pretty than the common Lilacs, both in leaf and 
blossom. The bunches of flowers are frequently a foot long, and 
weigh down the tender terminal slender shoots so as to give the 
plant a very graceful appearance. The ivkite and purple, both 
beautiful; the Cut-leaved Lilac has interesting and delicate 
foliage." The Persian Lilac grows about four or five feet high. 
All the species bloom the last of May and the first of June. 

The common Lilacs are suitable for the back of the shrub- 
bery. " This was one of the first plants introduced by our 
forefathers, and is universally found ; often in the front of an- 
cient houses, growing almost to the size of a tree." To make 
a small tree of it, care must be taken to destroy all the suckers 
and keep a clean stem. The Persian varieties are suitable for 
planting in clumps, or in the front of the shrubbery. Some 
beautiful new varieties have been imported within a few years, 
producing immense clusters of flowers. There is one variety 
with double flowers, but it is not an improvement. 



TECOMA. 

This genus has been separated from Bignonia, and now 
includes T. radicans and T. grandiflora. 

Tecoma radicans has been described under the head of Big- 
nonia. 

26 



302 breck's book of flowers. 

Tecoma grandijlora has flowered with us, but it is rather ten- 
der iu this climate. It is a native of China and Japan. " In 
the growth of the wood it is rather more slender, and the 
leaves more coarsely serrated than those of B. radicans. The 
vine has the same habit of attaching itself firmly to a wall, or 
building of stone, brick, or wood, or to the trunk of a tree 
within its reach, by the numerous small air-rootlets which it 
sends out from the inner sides of its shoots. 

" In the blossoms of the Tecoma grandijlora, however, lies 
its peculiar beauty. These are produced, in great profusion of 
clusters, in July and August, so as to give the whole plant an 
exceedingly gay and lively appearance. They are not long and 
tubular, like those of the common Trumpet Flower, but some- 
what cup-shaped. # =^ ^ The color is beautifully varied, 
the outside being a rich pure orange-scarlet, marked with 
brighter streaks. These gay clusters open their blossoms in suc- 
cession, so as to keep up a brilliant appearance for a long time; 
and we are acquainted with no climbing shrub, except the 
Chinese Wistaria, which at all vies in elegance or brilliancy 
of eflfect, in the garden or pleasure-ground, with this during the 
season of bloom. Last season, we counted over three hundred 
in bloom, at once, upon a plant in our neighborhood; and the 
same profuse display continued a fortnight or more. 

" The Tecmna grandijlora may be grown with perfect ease 
where the old Trumpet Flower (T. radicans) thrives. North 
of this (Newburg, N. Y.) it will, perhaps, require a little pro- 
tection in winter, such as a layer of straw tied over the larger 
shoots, or some branches of evergreens laid against them at the 
approach of winter. A northern site will also be found the 
better one at the north, wherever there is a doubt of its hardi- 
ness, since the temperature will, in such a site, be more uni- 
form and less injurious than in a southern aspect. Wherever 
the Isabella grape ripens, this handsome climbing shrub will be 
easily cultivated in almost any situation. If there are any 
fears of its hardiness, it may be protected, as we have pointed 
out, for a couple of years, till the wood gets strong and well- 



VIBURNUM. 303 

hardened. Any dry, light, well-drained soil, suits this climber. 
It should be made moderately rich, and in such soil, when 
planted against a wall, it will cover a space twelve or fourteen 
feet square, in two or three seasons. It is well worthy the 
attention of those who are looking for climbers of a permanent 
kind, to cover unsightly walks, or close fences, ot to render gar- 
den buildings of any kind more ornamental, by a rich canopy 
of foliage and bloom." — (Doiv7iing.) 



VIBURNUM. 

Vihurnuin opulus. — Snowball Garden Kose. — This ele- 
gant shrub is a common ornament of the garden, producing 
large white bunches of flowers like those of the Hydrangea ; 
grouped with the Laburnum, purple and white Lilacs, double- 
flowering Thorns, &c., it has a fine effect ; in flower the last 
of May and June ; eight or ten feet high ; propagated from 
suckers, layers, and cuttings, 

Viburmwi lentago. — Sweet Viburnum, — A native species 
of great beauty. Mr. Emerson describes it as a "beautiful small 
tree, rising to the height of fifteen to twenty feet, with rich 
foliage, and clothed, in June, with a profusion of delicate, 
showy flowers." The flowers are produced in terminal cymes, 
and from them a very agreeable fragrance is diffused. " There 
is a softness and richness about the flowers and foliage of the 
Sweet Viburnum, which distinguish it above all others of the 
same genus. It is hardly less beautiful in fruit, from the pro- 
fusion of the rich blue berries hanging down among the 
curled leaves, which are beginning to assume the beautiful 
hues of autumn, A tree of this kind makes a fine appearance 
at the angle of a walk, or in the corner of a garden, as its del- 
icacy invites a near approach, and rewards examination. With 
this delicacy of appearance, it is a hardy plant, and may some- 
times be seen on the bleak hillside, where it has encountered 
the north-west stormy winds for a score of years." 

We think this Viburnum much more desirable than the 



304 breck's book of flowers. 

common Snowball. As it is found growing in uplands, no 
doubt it will flourish in any garden loam, and propagated the 
same as the Snowball. 

We have a number of other species, which would well repay 
cultivation. Most of them would require the same treatment 
as the Azalea, and that class of plants, as they are found in 
swamps and woods. Some of them are very beautiful, viz., 
V. dentatum, nudum, acerifoliwn, &c. 

Viburnum lantanoides. — Wayfaring Tree, Hobble Bush. — 
This fine native plant " received its specific name, lantanoides, 
from its resemblance to the English Wayfaring Tree, V. laiitana, 
the tree which William addresses, when he says : — 

' Wayfaring Tree ! what ancient claim 
Hast thou to that right pleasant name ? 

Whate'er it be, I love it well, — 
A name, methinks, that surely fell 
From poet, in some evening dell, 
Wandering with fancies sweet.' 

" That tree rises to the height of eighteen or twenty feet, 
and has an ample head of white flowers. Ours, less fortunate 
in its name, is a stout, low bush, found in dark, rocky woods, 
and making a show, in such solitary places, of a broad head of 
flowers, the marginal ones often an inch across." # ^ * 
" The leaves are from four to six inches in length and breadth, 
roundish, heart-shaped at base, ending in a short, abrupt point, 
and unequally serravB on the margin. They are smooth above, 
but beneath downy on the veins, which are thereby rendered 
strikingly distinct. # # ^ The fruit is ovate, large, of 
bright crimson color, turning afterwards almost black." — [Em- 
erson.) The first time we beheld this crooked, straggling shrub, 
in flower, in its native haunts, a dark swamp, we thought it 
one of the most ornamental shrubs of the country. It is cer- 
tainly worthy of a place in every collection of shrubs. It will 
no doubt succeed with the same treatment as the Rhododen- 



WEIGELA. 305 

dron, or Azalea, and may be propagated by seeds, layers, or 
cuttings. 

V. oxycoccus. — Cranberry Tree, High Cranberry. — "A 
handsome low tree, five to ten feet in height, ornamented 
throughout the year with flovvers, or fruit. In May, or early 
in June, it spreads open, at the end of every branch, a broad 
cyme of soft, delicate flowers, surrounded by an irregular circle 
of snow-white stars, scattered, apparently, for show. The 
fruit, which is red w^hen ripe, is of a pleasant acid taste, 
resembling cranberries, for which it is sometimes substituted." 
This shrub is said to be the parent of the Guelder Rose or 
Snowball, V. opulus. Mr. Emerson calls this, V. opulus, and 
the Snowball a variety, between which, according to Drs. Tor- 
rey and Grey, there is no essential difference. It is one .of our 
handsomest native shrubs. 

V. macrocephalum. — Great-clustered Snowball. — " This is 
a new and splendid species, that has not been much, if any, cul- 
tivated in this country. M. Van Houtte describes it as found 
growing in the gardens about Chusan, China, where it forms a 
shrub, or tree, twenty feet high. It flowers every year, in May, 
producing its enormous clusters, which equal those of the old 
garden Snawhall, or ' Guelder Rose,' in purity of color, and far 
eclipses them in size and beauty. Each blossom is more than 
an inch across, and the clusters measure eight or ten inches in 
diameter. The. leaves are regularly oval, with short petioles, 
and about three inches long. It flourishes, in the open border, 
in the same soil as the common Snowball ; and M. Van 
Houtte considers it one of the most beautiful additions to the 
shrubbery." — [Bovming.) 



WEIGELA. 

Weigela rosea. — The Rose-colored Weigela. — This is an- 
other new shrub, introduced by Mr. Fortune into England from 
China, first noticed here by Downing. 

" When I first discovered this beautiful plant," says Mr. For- 
26* 



306 breck's book of flowers. 

tune, " it was growing in a Mandarin's garden, on the island 
of Chusan, and literally loaded with its fine rose-colored 
flowers, which hung in graceful bunches from the axils of the 
leaves, and the ends of the branches. Every one saw and ad- 
mired the beautiful Weigela. 1 immediately marked it as one 
of the finest plants of Northern China, and determined to send 
plants of it home in every ship, until I should hear of its safe 
arrival. It forms a neat bush, not unlike a Syringa [Philadel- 
phis) in habit, deciduous in winter, and flowering in the months 
of April and May. One great recommendation to it is, that it 
is a plant of the easiest cultivation. Cuttings strike readily 
any time during the winter and spring months, with ordinary 
attention, and the plant itself grows well in any good garden 
soil. It should be grown in this country as it is in China, not 
tied up in that formal, unnatural way in which Ave see plants 
brought to our exhibitions; but a main stem or two chosen for 
leaders, which, in their turn, throw out branches from their 
sides, and then, when the plant comes into bloom, the branches, 
which are loaded with beautiful flowers, hang down in grace- 
ful and natural festoons." 



WISTARIA. 

Wistaria. — This genus was formerly included in that of 
Glycine, but has been separated from it, and named by Nuttall 
in honor of Dr. Caspar Wistar. 

Wistaria Shiensis. — The Chinese Wistaria. — This is one 
of the most magnificent climbing shrubby plants in cultivation. 
It was formerly treated, at the North, as a tender plant, and 
might be seen trained to the rafters of the green-house, in full 
flower, in March, with its thousands of rich clusters, or pen- 
dulous racemes of delicate pale-purple blossoms, so numerous 
that the whole space it occupied seemed to be covered with 
them. Each raceme is from ten to twelve inches long, and 
densely filled with its delicate and richly perfumed flowers. It 
is easily raised from cuttings, or layers. In the open ground, 



WISTARTA. 307 

we have known it to make a growth of twenty-two feet in one 
season ; and, with us, has not failed, excepting one year in the 
last twelve, to produce an abundant bloom, and that without 
the least protection. The December previous to the year in 
which it did not bloom was a very warm one. The buds pre- 
maturely started, and were winter-killed ; it, however, flow- 
ered in August, but not so perfectly as it should have done in 
the spring. The flowers make their appearance before the 
foliage starts, the last of May, in the open ground. The foliage 
is abundant, and its color is a lively, pleasant hue of green. 
The plants for the few first years are somewhat tender, at the 
North, and should be laid down before winter sets in, and cov- 
ered with earth, or coarse manure. It grows freely in almost 
any soil ; but to have strong plants, it is important to have a 
rich, deep loam. It will not flower till the plants get strong. 

A new variety, with white flowers, was brought to England 
from China, by Mr. Fortune. In planting out young vines, 
they should be cut down to a single bud. 

My plants generally produce scattering clusters of flowers, 
during the last summer months, but are not equal to the clusters 
produced in the spring. They are planted against a bank wall, 
on the south side, and run in and out of it at pleasure, sending 
out long branches in every direction, making free with all the 
trees in the neighborhood, and running at random in a strange 
manner. The wood needs shortening in February, or perhaps 
it would be better to prune in December. 



DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF EVERGREEN TREES, SUITABLE FOR THE 
SHRUBBERY, LAWN, OR PROTECTIVE BELT FOR BUILDINGS, 
GARDENS, ORCHARDS, &C. 



The value and importance of protection afforded to build- 
ings, gardens, and orchards, by a belt of evergreen trees, in a 
climate like New England, are but little appreciated or under- 
stood even by our most intelligent amateurs and horticulturists. 
To say nothing of the pleasing and grateful appearance of such 
a plantation, well arranged, to a person of taste, at a season of 
the year when, without evergreens, everything out of doors looks 
drear and cheerless, as a subject of real comfort and utilitj'-, it 
is one which deserves the serious consideration of every one 
who desires good fruit, rare flowers, or comfortable quarters. 
An evergreen hedge, or, what is better, a belt of evergreen 
trees, excludes the cold, searching winds, and enables the hor- 
ticulturist to bring to perfection many fruits and flowers that 
would not, without such protection, be enjoyed. Let it be 
tried, and there will be found a material difference in the range 
of thermometers placed on both sides of such a belt. As a 
matter of taste, no one will deny that a variety of evergreens, 
judiciously planted, adds much to the ornament and beauty of 
a country residence. W^here there is to be any pretension to a 
shrubbery, a backing of evergreen trees is indispensable. The 
intermingling of the many deciduous shrubs, bearing ornamen- 
tal, persistent berries, with the diversified growth and varied 
colors of the wood, gives, even in winter, a cheerful and pleas- 
ant aspect to the pleasure-grounds ; and, in summer, when the 
shrubs and trees are clothed in their magnificent apparel, 
adorned with their gorgeous flowers, the back-ground of hem- 
lock, fir, spruce or pine, makes a fine contrast, and gives addi- 
tional beauty to the various forms, colors, and shades, of the 
foliage and flowers of the deciduous plants and trees. 



EVERGREEN TREES. 309 

To understand to perfection the most harmonious arrange- 
ment of evergreen trees, a person should travel a few days in 
some parts of the State of Maine, the home of a large portion 
of this beautiful tribe. Let him study, for a while, the ex- 
quisite groups and combinations of the various species, as he 
finds them carelessly and naturally arranged in their native 
habitats, and he need not study books, nor consult the landscape 
gardener, to be informed of the best style of planting his ever- 
greens, and other shrubs or trees. He will find Nature the 
best teacher. 

There is no greater departure from correct taste, than to 
plant the fir, or other evergreens of that habit, singly, or in 
regular rows. The hemlock, Norway spruce, and others, 
may sometimes be planted singly on the lawn ; but, as a gen- 
eral rule, most of the evergreens should be planted in groups, 
or belts, varied with the different sorts. Evergreens seem to 
be social in their habits, if we may so speak ; they seem to 
flourish best when grown together. Some of the evergreen 
trees, planted in the solitary style, soon lose their lower limbs, 
become ragged and unsightly, — a nuisance and an eye-sore to 
those who are compelled to see them from day to day. Natu- 
rally, from cold latitudes, they require the protection and shel- 
ter of each other, to screen their roots from the powerful action 
of the summer's sun. When grouped together, and the lower 
branches encouraged to grow to the ground, they receive this 
protection, and will give ample satisfaction to those who adopt 
this style of planting. 

Our own country affords all the variety needful to make an 
elegant shrubbery, a warm belt, or protective hedge. But 
there are many evergreens, of foreign grow^th, that are desira- 
ble, to give additional variety and charm to a collection of our 
own trees. Some of them, as yet, are of doubtful hardiness ; 
but, under the lee of our beautiful hemlocks, spruces, or pines, 
they will be placed in the most favorable circumstances for suc- 
cessful trial ; and not only these, but the magnolias, rhododen- 



310 breck's book of flowers. 

drons, and other equally difficult trees and shrubs to manage 
in a northern climate, will, if anywhere, succeed. 

Mr. Downing- says : " Well-grown belts of evergreens, pines, 
and furs, which, 

' ill conic forms arise, 



And with a pointed spear divide the skies,' 

have, in their congregated strength, a power of shelter and pro- 
tection that no inexperienced person can possibly understand, 
without actual experience and the evidence of his own senses. 
Many a place, almost uninhabitable from the rude blasts of 
wind that sweep over it, has been rendered comparatively calm 
and sheltered. Many a garden, so exposed that the cultivation 
of tender trees and plants was almost impossible, has been ren- 
dered mild and genial in its climate, by the growth of a close 
shelter, composed of masses and groups of Evergreen Trees." 

Most of the northern Evergreen Trees are enumerated and 
described by Mr. Emerson, in his excellent work on " The 
Trees and Shrubs of Massachusetts," to which we would refer 
our readers for many interesting details and particulars, and 
from which we have made man3r extracts. 

He says : " The pines, firs, junipers, cypresses, larches, 
hemlock, and yews, with some foreign trees, form a very distinct 
and natural group. The name Evergreen, by which they are 
commonly known, is liable to the exception, that one of the 
genera found in this climate, the Larch, loses its leaves in win- 
ter. The Evergreens are divided into three sections : — 

" 1st. Those whose fruit is a true cone, with numerous im- 
bricate scales, like the fir and pine. 

" 2d. Those with a globular, compound fruit, like the cypress 
and arbor vitas. 

" 3d. Those with a globular, compound fruit, like the yew." 



PINUS. 811 

PINUS. 

Tlie Pine Family. 

In this genus, Pinus, are the "White, Pitch, and Norway- 
Pines, familiar to all. 

Pinus sylvestris, — or Scotch Pine, — is found in the British 
Islands. There is a specimen of this tree at the Botanic Gar- 
den, Cambridge. It has some resemblance to Pitch Pine, 
[Pinus rigida,) but has more claim to beauty, of which the 
other has none, or very little. The Scotch Pine, or Fir, as it 
is called, differs from the Pitch Pine, in having its leaves in 
twos, instead of threes. Their color, also, is of a more glaucous 
green, and, if we remember right, they are also longer than the 
Pitch Pine. The Pitch Pine is so often seen in barren, sterile 
soils, that barrenness seems to be associated with it ; and, as it 
has no claim to elegance, we should not recommend this, only 
for the sake of variety, and this in the back-ground. A few trees 
of the Scotch Pine may also be admissible, for the same rea- 
son, in large plantations. 

P. resinosus. — Red or Norway Pine. — This tree is more 
ample in its dimensions, growing from fifty to one hundred feet 
high, in Maine. In this State it is not very common. The 
leaves are in twos, and much longer than on the Pitch Pine. 
We should recommend this species only where there are ex- 
tensive grounds to decorate. 
! P. strokes . — The White Pine. — This tree is familiar to 
j all, growing to a stately size in the most favorable locations, 
I having been known to attain the height of 264 feet, in Lancas- 
} ter, N. H., by actual measurement, according to reliable infor- 
-I mation given to Mr. Emerson by Dr. D wight ; and that they 
' were frequently found 250 feet in height and six feet in diame- 
j ter. This is about equal to the California trees, of which we 
( have accounts. The White Pine is known by its leaves being 
I in fives. The character of this genus is in having their leaves 
! in a sheath of two, three, or five together. " For ornamental 



312 breck's book of flowers. 

purposes, of all the well-known Pines," says Mr. Downing-, 
" we give the preference to our native "White Pine. The soft, 
agreeable hue of its pliant foliage, the excellent form of the 
tree, and its adaptation to a great variety of soils and sites, are 
all recommendations not easily overlooked. Besides, it bears 
transplanting well ; and is, on this account, also, more gener- 
ally seen than any other species in our ornamental plantations. 
But its especial merit, as an ornamental tree, is the perpetually 
fine, rich, lively green of its foliage. In the Northern States, 
many evergreens lose their bright color in midwinter, owing to 
the severity of the cold ; and, though they regain it quickly in 
the first mild days of spring, yet this temporary dinginess, at 
the season when verdure is rarest and most prized, is, undenia- 
bly, a great defect. Both the Hemlock and the White Pine are 
exceptions. Even in the greatest depression of the thermom- 
eter known to our neighbors on the ' disputed boundary ' 
line, we believe the verdure of these trees is the same fine, 
unchanging green. Again, this thin summer growth is of such 
a soft and lively color, that they are (unlike some of the other 
Pines, the Red Cedar, &c.,) as pleasant to look upon, even in 
June, as any fresh and full-foliaged and deciduous tree, rejoic- 
ing in all its full breadth of new summer robes. We, there- 
fore, place the White Pine among the first in the regards of 
the ornamental planter." To this opinion we give our cordial 
assent. 

P. piiiaster " is a native of the South of Europe, much culti- 
vated in England as an ornamental tree." Of this species we 
have no acquaintance, any more than we have with P. Lam- 
bertiana, P. Sabiniana, P. po7iderosa, and others, natives of 
California and other parts of the North-west Coast, which, no 
doubt, will prove hardy here, and be a great acquisition to our 
collection of Pines; but, as yet, they have not appeared 
amongst us, with the exception of a few small specimens raised 
from seed, in possession of curious amateurs in such matters. 

P. Austrica. — " The Austrian Pine," Downing says, " for 
a rapid-growing, bold, picturesque evergreen, is well deserving 



ABIES. 313 

attention. We find it remarkably hardy, adapting itself to all 
soils, (though said to grow naturally in Austria, on the lightest 
sands.) A specimen here, grew nearly three feet last season ; 
and its bold, stifT foliage, is sufficiently marked to arrest the 
attention among all other evergreens." The same gentleman 
says of the P'mus cembra, the Swiss Stone Pine : " We find it 
perfectly hardy in this latitude. This tree produces an eatable 
kernel, and, though of comparatively slow growth, is certainly 
one of the most interesting of the Pine family." 



ABIES. 
The Spruce. 

According to Emerson, " Three species are found in Massa- 
chusetts : — 

" 1st. The Hemlock has small, pointed, pendulous, terminal 
cones, and thin, flat leaves. 

"2d. The Black Spruce has dependent, egg-shaped cones, 
with scales waved and jagged at the edge. 

" 3d. The White Spruce has longer cones, also dependent 
and spindle-shaped, with scales smooth and entire at the edge. 

" Both have four-angled, awl-shaped leaves." 

The Norway Spruce, now becoming well known as a hardy, 
ornamental evergreen, is finer than either the Black or White 
Spruce, and is distinguished from them by its much longer 
cylindrical cones, thick foliage, and drooping branches. 

Abies Canadensis. — The Hemlock. — This elegant tree, for 
some reason, has not been introduced into our pleasure-grounds 
to any great extent ; for what reason, we know not. We have 
seen it, in great magnificence, in the grounds of Mr. J. S. C. 
Green, of Waltham, grown upon a lawn, singly, and intermin- 
gled with other trees. We remarked to the gardener, that these 
were the finest specimens we had ever seen, except in its na- 
tive haunts, and said that it was supposed to be an exceedingly 
difficult tree to transplant. He replied, this was not the case, 
27 



314 breck's book of flowers. 

— that it was no more uncertain with this than with othei 
evergreens ; and pointed to a tree, thirty or forty feet high, 
clothed with branches to the ground, which, he said, he trans- 
planted from another part of the ground to where it now stood, 
but a few years since, it being then six inches in diameter. It 
was taken up so carefully that the growth was hardly checked. 
The great trouble with this, as with all evergreens when 
taken from the woods, is, that it is difficult to save all the roots. 
They are then often exposed to the sun and air, which, to an 
evergreen, is more hazardous to its prosperity, than it would be 
to a deciduous tree. The change of soil and location, to the 
tree, with only a portion of its roots, which, with the exposure, 
and, perhaps, too deep planting, proves to be death to the tree. 
For this reason, trees grown in a nursery are more sure to live 
than those taken from the forests ; having been transplanted 
into rows and root-pruned, their roots are in small compass, 
and, as they are generally taken up with a ball of earth, they 
are almost sure to live. We hope to see the Hemlock more 
extensively cultivated in our nurseries, 

•' The Hemlock Spruce, or Hemlock, as, throughout New 
England, it is universally called, is the most beautiful tree of 
the family. It is distinguished from all the other Pines by the 
softness and delicacy of its tufted foliage ; from the Spruce, by 
its slender, tapering branches, and the smoothness of its limbs ; 
and from the Balsam Fir, by its small terminal cones, by the 
irregularity of its branches, and the gracefulness of its whole 
appearance. 

" The young trees, by their numerous irregular branches, 
clothed with foliage of a delicate green, form a rich mass of 
verdure ; and when, in the beginning of summer, each twig is 
terminated with a tuftof yellowish-green recent leaves, surmount- 
ing the darker-green of the former year, the effect, as an object 
of beauty, is equalled by very few flowering shrubs, and far 
surpasses that produced by any other tree. 

" The Hemlock is said, by Piu:sh, to extend to the most northern 
regions in Canada, and was found by Mr. Menzies in North- 



ABIES NIGEA. 315 

west America. It is found in every part of this State, on 
almost every variety of soil. It flourishes in the ruins of 
granitic rocks, on the sides of hills exposed to the violence of 
storms. As it bears pruning to almost any degree, without suf- 
fering injury, it is well fitted to form screens for the protection 
of more tender trees and plants, or for concealing disagreeable 
objects. By being planted in double or triple rows, it may, in 
a few years, be made to assume the appearance of an impene- 
trable evergreen-wall, — really impenetrable to the wind and to 
domestic animals. A hedge of this kind, seven or eight feet 
high, on a bleak, barren plain, exposed to the north-west winds, 
gave Dr. Greene, of Mansfield, a warm, sunny, sheltered spot 
for the cultivation of delicate annual plants. When I saw it, 
the annuals, several of which were rare exotics, were beautiful, 
but the Hemlock screen much more so." — [Emerson.) 

The Hemlock is of slow growth till it gets well established; 
it then makes rapid progress, and finally becomes a large tree. 
The Hemlock should never be planted without some other tree 
to nurse or protect it. If designed for a single tree for the lawn, 
or in any other exposed situation, others of its kind should be 
planted to shade and shelter it, which may be taken away as 
soon as the tree becomes well rooted. 



ABIES NIGRA. 

The Black Spruce. 

*' The Black and the White Spruce are commonly called the 
Double and Single Spruce. The Double is distinguished from 
the Single Spruce, by the darker color of the foliage, whence 
its name of Black Spruce, by the greater thickness in propor- 
tion to the length of the cones, and by the looseness of the 
scales, which are jagged, or toothed, on the edge. 

" When the tree stands by itself, in a sheltered situation 
favorable to its growth, the stages, or whorls, (of its branches) 
are regularly disposed, and, diminishing gradually in length 



316 breck's book of flowers. 

from the ground to the top, form a conical head of strikingly reg- 
ular and symmetrical proportions. To the unpractised eye this 
mathematical exactness of shape is beautiful ; and the Spruce 
is a favorite tree, and is often placed in the near vicinity of 
houses. But to one, studious of variety and picturesque effect, 
the regular cone becomes stiff and monotonous, and the unva- 
rying dark-green of the foliage has a sombre and melancholy 
aspect. The leaves are dark-green, two or three fifths of an 
inch long." — {Emerson.) 

Abies alba. — The Single or White Spruce. — The same 
author as above describes the White Spruce " as a more slender 
and tapering tree of the swamps, marked by the light color of 
the bark and lighter green of the leaves. It rarely rises to the 
height of forty or fifty feet. It is perfectly straight, with nu- 
merous, somewhat irregularly scattered, branches, forming a 
head of the same shape as that of the Double Spruce, but less 
broad, and with foliage of a less gloomy color; whence its 
name. The leaves are of a light bluish-green, in spirals 
rather closely set, and equall)'' on all sides of the shoot." We 
found this species growing on the top of a mountain in Maine, 
near Penobscot River. The whole mountain-top was inter- 
spersed with groups of the most perfect-shaped Spruces of this 
description that could be imagined. They were not more than 
twenty or thirty feet high, crowded with branches from the 
ground to the top, forming perfect pyramids of evergreen, so 
thick that it seemed a fit retreat for any wild animal, or bird, 
that might seek shelter among its profuse foliage. The lower 
branches, reclined upon the ground, are so spreading, that the 
base of the pyramid appeared to be nearly the same width as the 
height of the tree. A few groups of this description would be 
magnificent decorations to the pleasure-ground. But such 
beautiful specimens could hardly be expected, even in this cli- 
mate, so far out of its natural haunts, or latitude, where it is 
found in its highest perfection. 

A. communis. — Norway Spruce. — This, as we have 
already remarked, is finer than either the Black or White 



ABIES. 317 

Spruce. Loudon says : "It is of the tallest of European Firs, 
with a very straight, but not thick, trunk. It is a native of the 
north of Germany and Russia, and particularly abundant in 
Norway. The tree is peculiarly valuable as a nurse, from being 
evergreen and closely covered with branches, by which radi- 
ated heat is retained ; from its conical shape and rigid stem, 
by which it does not suffocate or whip the adjoining trees ; 
from its being valuable at whatever age it is thinned out ; and 
from its being an excellent shelter for the most valuable game. 
It is also an excellent hedge plant or shelter." Mr. Downing, 
in speaking of it, says : " In fact, it is so useful and valuable a 
tree, that it is destined to become much more popular still. So 
hardy, that it is used as a nurse plant, to break off the wind in 
exposed sites, and shelter more tender trees in young planta- 
tions ; so readily adapting itself to any site, that it thrives upon 
all soils, from light sand and dry gravel, to deep, moist loam or 
clay ; so accommodating in its habits, that it will grow under 
the shade of other trees, or in the most exposed positions. There 
is no planter of new places, or improver of old ones, who will 
not find it necessary to call it in for his assistance. Then, 
again, the variety of purposes for which the trees maybe used, 
is so indefinite. Certainly there are few trees more strikingly 
picturesque than a fine N(^l(ray Spruce, forty or fifty years 
old, towering up from a base of thick branches, which droop and 
fall to the very lawn, and hang off in those depending curves, 
which make it such a favorite with the artist." 

" Abies 'pulcherrima of Virgil. — The European Silver Fir. 
— Similar and superior to the Balsam Fir, and which grows 
to the height of one hundred or one hundred and fifty feet, and 
even more ; grows with great vigor in our gardens and nur- 
series, and wherever else it has been tried. It is an inhabitant 
of the mountains of the South of Europe. 

"But still more remarkable and desirable trees of this genus 

are found on the western side of the continent. Such is the 

tree called Douglass' Spruce Fir, Abies Doziglassii, from the 

name of the person who introduced it into England. In its 

27^ 



318 breck's book of floweks. 

native forests it varies from one hundred to two hundred and 
eighty feet in height ; and a stump is mentioned as still found 
on the Columbia River, which measures forty-eight feet in cir- 
cumference at three feet from the ground, exclusive of its very 
thick bark." — {Emerson.) 



PICEA. 

ITie Fir. 

The Fir tribe are suitable for ornamenting the shrubbery or 
lawn, when planted in groups, but not proper for single speci- 
mens. " They are remarkable for the regularity and symme- 
try of their pyramidal heads. The leaves are solitary, needle- 
shaped, rigid, sempervirent, supposed by botanists formed of 
two, grown together. They are distinguished from the other 
Pines by the smoothness of their bark, in which are formed 
cavities or crypts, containing their peculiar balsam ; by the sil- 
very whiteness of the under surface of the seemingly two- 
rowed leaves, and by their long, erect cones, formed of woody 
deciduous scales, with a smooth, thin edge. 

'^Picea balsamifera. — The Balsam Fir. — This beautiful 
evergreen resembles the SpruceJp its regular pyramidal form. 
It differs from it in its bark, wlilm is smooth when young, and 
continues so until it has attained a considerable age ; in its 
leaves, which are nearly flat, and of a beautiful silver color 
beneath ; and in having large, upright cones. It has a strong 
resemblance to the Silver Fir of Europe, a much loftier and 
nobler tree. The American tree is known by the name of the 
Fir Balsam, or Balsam Fir, or simply Fir," " It is hardy, 
easily transplanted, and grows rapidly and with great vigor, and 
possesses in a high degree the most important qualities of the 
evergreens, as an ornamental tree, — a regular pyramidal shape, 
and rich, deep-green foliage. The large cones, with which 
the upper branches are often loaded, give it additional beauty. 
Its defects are its stiffness, and the raggedness which it assumes 
in old age, which comes on early, as it is a short-lived tree. 



LAEIX. 319 

Its chief recommendations are its hardiness, and quickness 
of growth." — {Emerson.) 

P. Fraseri. — The Double Balsam Fir. — According to Em- 
erson, this species has a great reseinblance to the Balsam 
Fir, with very little to distinguish them, except that, in the 
Double Fir, the leaves are usually more crowded. " The ma- 
ture cone presents a ready and certain distinction. It is of 
about half the length, and two thirds the thickness, of the com- 
mon Fir. There are, also, some other small differences, 
which, however, are not sufficient, in the eyes of the common 
people, to make two distinct species. From the gi'eat richness 
and luxuriance of the foliage, the Double Balsam is a very 
beautiful tree, and its leaves diffuse a peculiarly agreeable res- 
inous odor." It is a smaller tree than the Balsam Fir. 



LARIX. 

The Hacinatack — Larch. 

The Larch is not an evergreen, but, as it comes under the 
same natural division, and is found growing in company with 
them, we shall notice it here. For ornamental purposes the 
American Larch {Larix American) is much inferior to the Eu- 
ropean species, [Larix communis.) 

" The Larches are deciduous trees, of cold and mountain- 
ous regions of both continents. They are distinguished from 
the other Pines by their leaves, which grow many together, in 
bundles, from the top of buds, whose scales are as persistent 
as the leaves." 

They grow from forty to eighty feet high. The European 
is extensively cultivated in England and Scotland for timber ; 
many thousands of acres of poor, waste land are improved to 
great advantage for this purpose. . 

For ornamental purposes the Larch is important, on account 
of its rapid growth, beautiful symmetrical shape, and thick 
foliage, which is of an agreeable light bluish-green. The 



320 breck's book of flowers. 

foliage differs from all the other cone-bearing trees, by the 
delicacy of its texture; late in autumn it turns to a soft, 
leather-yellow color, and, in the first days of November, falls. 
The Larch is in foliage very early in the spring, and forms a 
rich contrast to the dark evergreens. The lower branches of 
the Larch should never be pruned off; as the great beauty of 
the tree consists in its being clothed to the ground with its rich 
foliage. 

There is a variety, called the Weeping Larch, {Larix pen- 
dula,) which is still more beautiful than either of the others. 
The foliage is much larger; the branches somewhat drooping. 

Larix cedrus. — Cedar of Lebanon. — This magnificent 
evergreen tree, of the Larch family, is reputed to be a little ten- 
der in New England ; but, planted where it may receive pro- 
tection from our more hardy evergreen trees, we have no doubt 
it will stand without any dijERculty, after it has become well 
established. In the Middle and Southern States there is no 
doubt but it will thrive and grow for centuries, as it is said it 
does in its native country. " It is unquestionably the most 
celebrated tree of the genus, and not less remarkable for the 
irregular grandeur of its form. The general character of its 
shoot, even when the tree is young, is singularly bold and pic- 
turesque, and quite different from that of every other species of 
the tribe. It is a native of the coldest parts of the mountains 
of Libanus, Amanus and Taurus ; but it is now to be found in 
those places in great numbers. The great use of the cedar is 
to plant singly on lawns, or in the margin of plantations, where 
one or two specimens will give force and character to the dull- 
est front of round-headed trees." — {Loudon.) 

Mr. Downing says: "The most remarkable peculiarity in 
the Cedar of Lebanon is the horizontal disposition of its wide- 
spreading branches. This is not apparent in very young trees, 
but soon becomes so as they begin to develop large heads. 
Though in altitude this tree is exceeded by some of the pines 
lately discovered in Oregon, which reach truly gigantic 
heights, yet, in breadth and massiveness, it far exceeds all ever 



LARK. 321 

green trees, and when old and finely developed on every side, 
is not equalled, in ornamental point of view, by any sylvan tree 
of temperate regions. Its character being essentially grand 
and magnificent, it therefore should only be planted where 
there is sufficient room for its development on every side. 
Crowded amongst other trees, all its fine breadth and massive- 
ness is lost, and it is drawn up with a narrow head like any 
other of the Pine family. But, planted in the midst of a broad 
lawn, it will eventually form a sublime object, far more impres- 
sive and magnificent than most of the country houses which 
belong to the private life of a republic. 

" The Cedar of Lebanon grows in almost any soil, from the 
poorest gravel to the richest loam. It has been remarked, in 
England, that its growth is most rapid in localities where, 
though planted in a good dry soil, its roots can reach water, 
such as situations near the margin of ponds or springs. In 
general, its average growth, in this country, in favorable soil, 
is about one foot in a year ; and, where the soil is very deeply 
trenched before planting, or when its roots are not stinted in 
the supply of moisture during the summer, it frequently ad- 
vances with double that rapidity. 

" Although hardy here, we understand in New England 
it requires slight protection in winter, while the trees are quite 
small. The shelter afforded by sticking a few branches of 
evergreen in the. ground around it, will fully answer the purpose. 
Wherever the Isabella Grape matures fully in the open air, 
it may be successfully cultivated. The cone of the Cedar of 
Lebanon is about four inches long and beautifully drawn. 

" The only reason why this grandest and most interesting of 
all evergreen trees, which may be grown in this country as 
easily as the Hemlock, wherever the peach bears well, has not 
already been extensively planted, is owing to two causes. 
First, that its wants and adaptation to our soil and climate are 
not generally known ; and, second, that it has, as yet, without 
any sufficient reason, been difficult to procure it, even in our 
larcfest nurseries." 



322 breck's book of flowers. 



THE CYPRESS TRIBE. 

" The plants which belong to this section have not their 
fruit in a true cone, but in a globular or irregular head, consist- 
ing of a number of scales, sometimes united into a sort of 
berry. The section includes the Arbor Vitse, the Juniper, the 
Red and White Cedar, the Cypress and the exotic genus Cal- 
listris. Most of the section are natives of warmer climates. 
Those which belong to New England are evergreen, but 
scarcely resinous. They may be propagated by layers and 
cuttings, but more readily by seeds, which generally lie in the 
gjound a year. The young plants are to be treated like pines." 



ARBOR VITiE, 

Cedar — Thuya, 

" The name of the genus is derived from a Greek word, sig- 
nifying to sacrifice; it having been used, from the agreeable odor 
of the wood, in sacrificial offerings." 

Thuya occidentalis. — The American Arbor Vitse. — This is 
a small evergreen tree, growing from thirty to forty, or even 
fifty, feet in height. It is remarkable for its graceful, pyra- 
midal, spire-like shape, thickly clothed with branches from the 
ground to the apex. " The leaves are evergreen, arranged in 
four rows, in alternately opposite pairs, completely investing 
and seeming to make up the fan-like branchlets. They are 
scale-like, marked with a projecting gland below the point, 
each lower pair embracing and covering the base of the pair 
above. The branchlets which they cover are arranged in a 
single plane, as if they were parts of a large, compound, flat, 
pinnate leaf. These planes are various, inclined to the hori- 
zon, often vertical, and form the striking peculiarity of this pic- 
turesque tree." The foliage is of a yellowish-green, and con- 
trasts finely with the Fir and other evergreens. The Arbor 



CUPRESSUS. 323 

Vitse forms a very ornamental hedge, and is coming very much 
into use, for protecting gardens from the cold, for which pur- 
pose it is admirably adapted. As a fence for keeping out 
cattle, we do not think it is sufficient. The Arbor Vitas is sure 
to live when taken from nurseries ; but as they are frequently 
purchased in the city, in crates, from Maine, they are very un- 
certain, probably on account of the long exposure of the roots to 
the sun and air, after they are dug, before they are packed. 
These young plants may generally be had in Boston for about 
thirty dollars per thousand. Before they are planted out to 
form the hedge, they should be grown one or two years in nur- 
sery rows. With the greatest care, many will die. When 
those that survive have become firmly established, the most 
vigorous may be selected, and, having the ground well pre- 
pared, set them out about nine inches or a foot distant frc.n 
each other ; if they are taken up, and set out carefully, not one 
in a hundred will fail ; but if they are set out immediately 
upon receiving them, probably not one in four will thrive. The 
Arbor Vitse bears pruning well, and may be brought into any 
desired shape, and a single row will form an. almost impene- 
trable screen. 



CUPRESSUS. 

Cedar, or Cypress. 

" The Cypresses, to which this genus belongs, are low, ever- 
green trees, natives of Europe, Asia, and North America, and 
remarkable for their spiry form, and the closeness of grain, 
and the durability of their wood. They have roundish, or 
polyhedral cones, called galboles, and small, imbricated, scale- 
like, four-rowed leaves. By the ancients the cypress was con- 
sidered an emblem of immortality ; with the moderns, it is em- 
blematical of sadness and mourning. 

'Dark tree! still sad, •when others' grief is fled, 
The only constant mtfurner ttf the dead.' — Drjran. 



324 breck's book of flowers. 

" Cupressus thyoides. — The White Cedar. — This is always 
a graceful and beautiful tree. Even when growing in its 
native swamps, hemmed in on all sides, and struggling for 
existence, the top, and branches too, near the top, will be 
marked by a characteristic elegance of shape, which no other 
of the family possesses. It is entirely free from the stiffness 
of the Pines, and to the spiry top of the Poplar, and the 
grace of the Cypress, it unites the airy lightness of the Hem- ■ 
lock. The White Cedar connects the Arbor Vitae with the 
Cypresses. It has the characters of both ; the scale-like, imbri- 
cate leaves and fan-shaped branches of the former, and the 
lofty, port and globular, or many-sided, fruit of the latter." — 
{Emerson.) 

We are not aware that this beautiful native tree has been 
cultivated for ornamental purposes ; we see no reason why it 
should not. It may be easily raised from seed, which require 
eighteen months, if planted in autumn, to vegetate. From its 
dense mass of thick foliage, it will make a fine protecting 
screen, whether grown as a hedge or as a belt of trees. 

Cupressus sempervirejis. — The Common Cypress of Europe. 
— " This is a tall, graceful, plume-shaped tree, the common and 
suitable ornament for burying places on the Levant ; suc- 
ceeds in the open air in various parts of Britain, and would 
probably succeed in sheltered places here." 



JUNIPERUS. 
The Juniper. 

"The Junipers are evergreen trees or shrubs, found in all 
quarters of the globe." 

Juniperus Virgiiiiana. — The Ked Cedar. — Savin. — This 
is a very common evergreen tree, of low growth, found in great 
abundance in the neighborhood of Boston, with rather dark, 
sober-looking foliage. Although so common and monotonous in 
its appearance on the rocky shores of Massachusetts, it may be 



JITNIPERUS. 325 

introduced with good effect among other evergreen trees. We 
have seen an impervious hedge made of it. For this purpose the 
plants should be raised from the seed, which, like the White Ce- 
dar, will require eighteen months to vegetate. " The Red Cedar 
is distinguished from the White and the Arbor Vitee, — the only- 
trees which it resembles, — by having its fruit in the form of a 
berry, and its leaves exhibiting but slightly a tendency to arrange 
themselves in a plane." The blue berries, that are sometimes 
produced in great profusion, add much to the interest of the 
tree, when they are ripe, in the months of October and Novem- 
ber. The Red Cedar assumes various shapes, but generally 
Gothic-like in style. We have noticed a small tree, in our 
neighborhood, that is perfectly plume-like in shape, rising up 
twelve or fifteen feet, Avith a base of only about three. The 
Red Cedar is very valuable for posts, its wood being almost 
incorruptible. They are generally carefully pruned of their 
lower branches, which spoils the beauty of the tree. For orna- 
ment, they should be encouraged to throw off branches from 
the ground. 

J. communis. — The Common Juniper. — This is a prostrate 
evergreen shrub, troublesome to eradicate, and of no use for 
ornament. 

Among the new evergreen trees desirable for introduction, 
particularly in a more southern region, are the Deodara Cedar, 
{Cedrus deodar,) and the Chilian Pine, {Araucaria imhricata.) 
We hope they may also succeed in this region ; they certainly 
deserve a trial. They are noticed in Downing's Horticulturist, 
v/ho says of the Deodar Cedar : " The general habit of this tree, 
as has been already remarked, is that of the Cedar of Lebanon, 
which it most nearly resembles. Its foliage, however, is larger, 
of a lighter, more silvery hue, and the branches have more of 
a drooping habit, and more feathery lightness, than the Cedar 
of Lebanon. The fact that it grows more rapidly, will serve 
as an additional recommendation to the lover of fine trees. 
This is still a very rare tree. There are yet no specimens in 
America over a few feet in height." The same author re- 
38 



326 breck's bock of flowers. 

marks : " South of New York, it will certainly form one of the 
most beautiful of ornamental trees;" but in a northern latitude 
it may not succeed so well. Bishop Heber describes it " as the 
glory of the Himalayas, — a splendid tree, with gigantic arms, 
and dark, narrow leaves." 

Araucaria imbricata, — or Chilian Pine. — The editor of the 
Horticulturist is of opinion that, from the experience of a num- 
ber of seasons, this tree will prove hardy in the latitude of New 
York, and quotes a description of it from the London Horticul- 
tural Magazine : " Leaves generally eight together, ovate 
lance-shaped, thickened at the base, stiff, straight, with persis- 
tent mucros ; cones globular at the end of the branches, about 
the size of a man's hand ; scales beautifully imbricated. 

" A remarkable evergreen tree, of magnificent dimensions, 
almost the only one to be met with in those districts where it is 
indigenous. It is a high tree, from eighty to one hundred feet, 
with a trunk like a pillar. Standing closely together in the 
forest, the trees are generally devoid of branches to the height 
of fifty or sixty feet. The top is in the shape of a depressed 
cone ; the side branches proceeding from the trunk in a hori- 
zontal direction, and ascending lightly at the tips. Over those 
branches the leaves are thickly set, like scales, which give an 
appearance of richly-embossed work. From the thick coating 
of leaves which pervades the whole outline of the tree, an 
idea of some brittleness is conveyed to the mind. The wood, 
however, was successfully used in ship-building, in 1780, by 
Don Francisco Dendariarena." " This plant is a native of 
Chili, in South America. The tree is particularly ornamental, 
and no plant can be used with greater effect in distinguishing 
particular spots of country appropriated to art. It should be on 
every gentleman's lawn. It is both elegant and unique." 



A DESCRIPTION OF SOME OF THE INSECTS THAT ARE INJU- 
RIOUS TO THE PLANTS OF THE FLOWER-GARDEN. 



To give a description of aH the insects that infest the plants 
of the flower-garden, it would be necessary to write a volume, 
so numerous are the voracious tribe that prey upon the roots, 
stems, foliage, and flowers of the floral kingdom. The depre- 
dation of insects is one of the greatest offsets to the pleas- 
ures of the garden. To nurse some favorite plant, watching 
over it from day to day, anticipating its opening beauties, and 
then, just as one's hopes are upon the point of being realized, 
to see the plant suddenly smitten with some mysterious dis- 
ease, or as suddenly destroyed by some noxious tribe of ver- 
min, — perhaps dying in a night, like Jonah's gourd, — who 
can help feeling a little ruffled, or even like justifying good old 
Jonah, who thought it " well to be angry for his gourd ? " 

The knowledge we possess of the habits of the various in- 
sects is very scanty. We are indebted, mainly, to that excel- 
lent work, " A Treatise on some of the Insects of New England, 
which are injurious to Vegetation," by Dr. T. W. Harris, of 
Cambridge, Mass., for all that is important in relation to them 
in this section of our work. Dr. Harris' Treatise should be 
accessible to every one who has anything to do with the culti- 
vation of the farm or garden. His descriptions are so plain, 
that almost any person may get all the desirable information 
of all the insects of which he treats. It is said by competent 
persons, that this Treatise is the most complete, as far as it 
goes, of any work in the English language. 

Some of the most annoying insects of the ffower-garden, are 
the Rose Sawfly, or Rose Slug, and the Rose Bug. 

Rose Slug. — The Rose Slug has, within a few years, proved 
very destructive to the Rose, in the vicinity of Boston, and 



328 breck's book of flowers. 

probably in other parts of the country ; so much so, that many 
persons have ahnost abandoned the cultivation of this most de- 
sirable of all flowers. A few years since, the Massachusetts 
Horticultural Society oflfered the liberal special premium of 
$100 for an efficient remedy. An application of diluted whale- 
oil soap was discovered, by Mr. David Haggerston, to be a com- 
plete remedy, when seasonably applied, and the premium was 
awarded to him. We shall insert his communication to the 
Society, in which he details the mode of preparation and appli- 
cation. 

The Eose Slug, if not checked in season, destroys the foliage, 
and the plants look as if they had been scorched by fire. We 
have known delicate growing roses killed to the ground by 
these small, but destructive, insects. 

One great objection to the use of whale-oil soap is the disa- 
greeable odor it gives to the plant, which, if applied at the time 
the roses are in bloom, spoils them entirely. When the insect 
is in the fly-state they may be found in great numbers on the 
under sides of the leaves. The whale-oil soap will destroy 
them in that state, if it is applied with force, as with a syringe, 
or garden engine. 

If the application is made in season, and followed up, every 
two or three days, till the roses begin to open their buds, the 
slug will either be exterminated, or so far checked as to pre- 
serve the foliage till the bloom is about over, when a new 
attack must be made upon the surviving vermin, which by this 
time have acquired their full size. It takes two or three days 
to rid the plants of the disagreeable odor, after the application. 
We give Dr. Harris' description of the insect entire : — 

" The Saw-fly of the rose, which, as it does not seem to 
have been described before, may be called Selandria rosce, from 
its favorite plant, so nearly resembles the slug-worm saw-fly as 
not to be distinguished therefrom, except by a practised ob- 
server. It is also very much like Selandria barda, vitls, and 
pygvKza, but has not the red thorax of these three closely 
allied species. It is of a deep and shining black color. The 



INSECTS. 329 

first two pairs of legs are brownish-gray, or dirty white, except 
the thighs, which are almost entirely black. The hind legs 
are black, with whitish knees. The wings are smoky, and 
transparent, with dark-brown veins, and a brown spot near the 
middle of the edge of the first pair. The body of the male is 
a little more than three twentieths of an inch long, that of the 
female one fifth of an inch or more, and the wings expand 
nearly or quite two fifths of an inch. These Saw-flies come 
out of the ground, at various times, between the twentieth of 
May and the middle of June, during which period they pair 
and lay their eggs. The females do not fly much, and may be 
seen, during most of the day, resting on the leaves ; and, when 
touched, they draw up their legs, and fall to the ground. The 
males are more active, fly from one rose-bush to another, and 
hover around their sluggish partners. The latter, when about 
to lay their eggs, turn a little on one side, unsheathe their 
saws, and thrust them obliquely into the skin of the leaf, depos- 
iting, in each incision thus made, a single egg. The young 
begin to hatch in ten days or a fortnight after the eggs are 
laid. They may sometimes be found on the leaves as early as 
the first of June, but do not usually appear in considerable 
numbers till the twentieth of the same month. How long they 
are in coming to maturity, I have not particularly observed ; 
but the period of their existence in the caterpillar state proba- 
bly does not exceed three weeks. They somewhat resemble 
the young of the Saw-fly, in form, but are not quite so convex. 
They have a small, round, yellowish head, with a black dot on 
each side of it, and are provided with twenty-two short legs. 
The body is green above, paler at the sides, and yellowish be- 
neath ; and it is soft, and almost transparent, like jelly. The 
skin of the back is transversely wrinkled, and covered with 
minute elevated points ; and there are two small, triple-pointed 
warts on the edge of the first ring, immediately behind the 
head. These gelatinous and sluggish creatures eat the upper 
surface of the leaf in large irregular patches, leaving the veins 
of the skin, beneath, untouched ; and they are sometimes so 
2S^ 



330 bueck's book of flowers. 

thick that not a leaf on the bushes is spared by them, and the 
whole foliage looks as if it had been scorched by fire, and drops 
off soon afterwards. They cast their skins several times, leav- 
ing them extended and fastened on the leaves ; after the last 
moulting, they lose their semi-transparent and greenish color, 
and acquire an opaque yellowish hue. They then leave the 
rose-bushes, some of them slowly creeping down the stem, and 
others rolling up and dropping off, especially when the bushes 
are shaken by the wind. Having reached the ground, they 
burrow to the depth of an inch or more in the earth, where 
each one makes for itself a small oval cell, of grains of earth, 
cemented with a little gummy silk. Having finished their 
transformations, and turned to flies, within their cells, they 
come out of the ground early in August, and lay their eggs for 
a second brood of young. These, in turn, perform their ap- 
pointed work of destruction in the autumn. They then go 
into the ground, make their earthen cells, remain therein 
throughout the winter, and appear, in the winged form, in the 
following spring and summer. 

" During several years past these pernicious vermin have 
infested the rose-bushes in the vicinity of Boston, and have 
proved so injurious to them as to have excited the attention of 
tlie Massachusetts Horticultural Society, by whom a premium 
of $100, for the most successful mode of destroying these in- 
sects, was offered, in the summer of 1840. About ten years 
ago I observed them in gardens at Cambridge, and then 
made myself acquainted with their transformations. At that 
time they had not reached Milton, my former place of resi- 
dence, and have appeared in that place only within two or 
three years. They now seem to be gradually extending in all 
directions, and an effectual method for preserving our roses 
from their attacks has become very desirable to all persons who 
set any value on this beautiful ornament of our gardens and 
shrubberies. Showering or syringing the bushes with a liquor, 
made by mixing with water the juice expressed from tobacco 
by tobacconists, has been recommended ; but some caution is 



INSECTS. 331 

necessary in making this mixture of a proper strength, for, if too 
strong, it is iiljurious to the plants; and the experiment does 
not seem, as yet, to have been conducted with sufheient care to 
insure safety and success. Dusting lime over the plants when 
Wet with dew has been tried, and found of some use ; but this 
and all other remedies will probably yield in efficacy to Mr. 
Haggerston's mixture of whale-oil soap and water, in the pro- 
portion of two pounds of the soap to fifteen gallons of water. 
Particular directions, drawn up by Mr. Haggerston himself, for 
the preparation and use of this simple and cheap application, 
may be found in the ' Boston Courier,' for the 25th of June, 
1841, and also in most of our agricultural and horticultural 
journals of the same time. The utility of this mixture has 
already been repeatedly mentioned in this treatise, and it may 
be applied in other cases with advantage. Mr. Haggerston 
finds that it effectually destroys many kinds of insects ; and he 
particularly mentions plant-lice of various kinds, red spiders, 
canker-worms, and a little jumping insect, which has lately 
been found quite as hurtful to rose-bushes as the slugs or young 
of the Saw-fly. The little insect, alluded to, has been mis- 
taken for a species of Thrips, or vine-fretter ; it is, however, a 
leaf-hopper, or species of Tettigonia, much smaller than the 
leaf-hopper of the grape-vine {Tettigonia vitis), described in a 
former part of this essay, and, like the leaf-hopper of the bean, 
entirely of a pale-green color." 

"To M. P. Wilder, Esq., President of the Massachusetts Horticultu- 
ral Society : 

" Sii', — Having discovered a cheap and effectiial mode of destroying 
tlie Rose Slug, I wisli to become a competitor for the premium offered by 
the Slassachusetts Horticultural Society. After very many satisfactory 
experiments with the following substance, I am convinced it will destroy 
the above insect, in either of the states in which it appears on the plant, 
as the fly, when it is laying its eggs, or as the slug, when it is commit- 
ting its depredations on the foliage. 

" Whale Oil Soap, dissolved at the rate of two pounds to fifteen gal- 
lons of water. I have used it stronger, without injury to the plants, but 
find the above mixture effectual m the destruction of the insect. As I 



332 breck's book of flowers. 

find, from experiments, there is a difference in the strength of the soap, 
it will be better for persons using it, to try it diluted as above, and if it 
does not kill the insect, add a little more soap, with caution. In corre- 
sponding with Messrs. Downer, Austin & Co., on the difference in its ap- 
pearance, they say : ' Whale Oil Soap varies much in its relative strength, 
the article not being made as soap, but being formed in our process of 
bleaching oil. When it is of very sharp taste, and dark appearance, the 
alkali predominates ; and when light-colored and flat taste, the grease 
predominates.' The former I have generally used, but have tried the 
light-colored, and find it equally efifectual, but requiring a little more 
soap, — say two pounds to thirteen gallons of watei'. 

"Mode of Preparation. — Take whatever quantity of soap you wish to 
prepare, and dissolve it in boiling water, about one quart to a pound; in 
this way strain it through a fine wire or hair sieve, which takes out the 
dirt, and prevents its stopping the valves of the engine, or the nose of the 
syringe ; then add cold water, to make it the proper strength ; apply it to 
the rose-bush with a hand-engine or syringe, with as much force as prac- 
ticable, and be sure that every part of the leaves is well saturated with the 
liquid. What falls to the ground, in application, will do good in destroy- 
ing the worms and enriching the soil, and, from its trifling cost, it can be 
used with profusion. A hogshead of 136 gallons costs forty-five cents, — 
not quite four mills per gallon. Early in the morning, or ia the even- 
ing, is the proper time to apply it to the plants. 

" As there are many other troublesome and destructive insects the 
above preparation will destroy, as effectually as the Kose Slug, it may be 
of benefit to the community to know the diflerent kinds upon which I have 
tried it with success. 

" The Tlirips, often called the Vine-Fretter, — a small, light-colored 
or spotted fly, quick ia motion, which, in some places, are making the 
rose-bush nearly as bad in appearance as the effects of the Slug. Aphis, 
or Plant Louse, under the name of Green or Brown Fly ; an insect not 
quick in motion, very abundant on, and destructive to, the young shoots 
of the Rose, the Peach Tree, and many other plants. The Black Fly, a 
very troublesome and destructive insect, that infests the young shoots of the 
Cherry and the Snowball Tree. I have never known any positive cure for 
the effects of this insect, until this time. Two varieties of insects that are 
destructive to, and very much disfigure, Evergreens, the Balsam or Baku 
of Gilead Fir in particular, one an Aphis, the other very much like the 
Rose Slug. The Acarus, or Red Spider, that well-known pest to gar- 
deners. 

'* The diseasQ Mildew, on the Gooseberi'y, Peach, Gi'ape Vine, &c., &c., 
is checked and entirely destroyed by a weak dressing of the solution. 
•' The above insects are generally all destroyed by one application, if 



INSECTS. 333 

properly applied to all parts of the foliage. The eggs of most insects 

continue to hatch in rotation, during their season. To keep the plants 

perfectly clean, it ■will be necessary to dress them two or three times. 

"I remain, Sir, 

" Your most obedient Servant, 

"DAVID HAGGERSTON. 
"Watertown, June 19th, 1841." 

The Rose Bug. — " The Eose-chafer, or Eose-bug, as it is 
more commonly and incorrectly called, is also a diurnal insect. 
It is the Melolontha suhspinosa of Fabricius, by whom it was first 
described, and belongs to the modern genus Macrodactylus of 
Latreille. Common as this insect is in the vicinity of Boston, 
it is, or was a few years ago, unknown in the northern and 
western parts of Massachusetts, in New Hampshire, and in 
Maine. It may, therefore, be well to give a brief description 
of it. This beetle measures seven twentieths of an inch in 
length. Its body is slender, tapers before and behind, and is 
entirely covered with very short and close ashen-yellow down. 
The thorax is long and narrow, angularly widened in the mid- 
dle of each side, which suggested the name suhspinosa, or 
somev\fhat spined ; the legs are slender, and of a pale-red color; 
the joints of the feet are tipped with black, and are very long, 
which caused Latreille to call the genus Macrodactylus, that is, 
long toe, or long foot. The natural history of the Eose-chafer, 
one of the greatest scourges with which our gardens and nur- 
series have been afflicted, was for a long time involved in mys- 
tery, but is at last fully cleared up. The prevalence of this 
insect on the rose, and its annual appearance coinciding with 
the blossoming of that flower, have gained for it the popular 
name by which it is here known. For some time after they 
were first noticed, Eose-bugs appeared to be confined to their 
favorite, the blossoms of the rose ; but within thirty years they 
have prodigiously increased in number, have attacked at ran- 
dom various kinds of plants, in swarms, and have become no- 
torious for their extensive and deplorable ravages. The grape- 
vine in particular, the cherry, plum, and apple trees, have 
annually suffered by their depredations. Many other fruit 



334 breck's book of flowers. 

trees and shrubs, garden vegetables and corn, and even the 
trees of the forest and the grass of the fields, have been laid 
under contribution by these indiscriminate feeders, by whom 
leaves, flowers, and fruits, are alike consumed. The unex- 
pected arrival of these insects in swarms, at their first coming, 
and their sudden disappearance, at the close of their career, are 
remarkable facts in their history. They come forth from the 
ground during the second week in June, or about the time of 
the blossoming of the Damask Eose, and remain from thirty to 
forty days. At the end of this period the males become ex- 
hausted, fall to the ground, and perish, while the females enter 
the earth, lay their eggs, return to the surface, and, after linger- 
ing a few days, die also. The eggs laid by each female are 
about thirty in number, and are deposited from one to four 
inches beneath the surface of the soil. They are nearly glob- 
ular, whitish, and about one thirtieth of an inch in diameter, 
and are hatched twenty days after they are laid. The young 
larvse begin to feed on such tender roots as are within their 
reach. Like other grubs of the Scaraba3ians, when not eating, 
they lie upon the side, with the body curved so that the head 
and tail are nearly in contact. Thej'" move with difficulty on a 
level surface, and are continually falling over on one side 
or the other. They attain their full size in the autumn, being 
then nearly three quarters of an inch long, and about an eighth 
of an inch in diameter. They are of a yellowish-white color, 
with a tinge of blue towards the hinder extremity, which is 
thick and obtuse, or rounded ; a few short hairs are scattered 
on the surface of the body ; there are six short legs, namely, a 
pair to each of the first three rings behind the head ; and the 
latter is covered with a horny shell of a pale rust color. In 
October they descend below the reach of frost, and pass the 
winter in a torpid state. In the spring they approach towards 
the surface, and each one forms for itself a little cell, of an oval 
shape, by turning round a great many times, so as to compress 
the earth and render the inside of the cavity hard and smooth. 
Within this cell the grub is transformed to a pupa, during the 



INSECTS. 335 

month of May, by casting off its skin, which is pushed down- 
wards in folds from the head to the tail. The pupa has some- 
what the form of the perfected beetle ; but it is of a yellowish- 
white color, and its short stump-like wings, its antennae, and its 
legs, are folded upon the breast, and its whole body is enclosed 
in a thin film, that wraps each part separately. During the 
month of June this filmy skin is rent, the included beetle with- 
draws from it its body and its limbs, bursts open its earthen cell, 
and digs its way to the surface of the ground. Thus the va- 
rious changes, from the egg to the full development of the per- 
fected beetle, are completed within the space of one year. 

" Such being the metamorphoses and habits of these insects, 
it is evident that we cannot attack them in the egg, the grub, 
or the pupa state ; the enemy, in these stages, is beyond our 
reach, and is subject to the control only of the natural but un- 
known means appointed by the Author of Nature to keep the 
insect tribes in check. When they have issued from their sub- 
terranean retreats, and have congregated upon our vines, trees, 
and other vegetable productions, in the complete enjoyment of 
their propensities, we must unite our efforts to seize and crush 
the invaders. They must indeed be crushed, scalded, or 
burned, to deprive them of life, for they are not affected by any 
of the applications usually found destructive to other insects. 
Experience has proved the utility of gathering them by hand, 
or of shaking them or brushing them from the plants into tin 
vessels containing a little water. They should be collected 
daily during the period of their visitation, and should be com- 
mitted to the flames, or killed by scalding water. The late 
John Lowell, Esq., states that, in 1823, he discovered, on a 
solitary apple-tree, the Rose-bugs ' in vast numbers, such as 
could not be described, and would not be believed if they were 
described ; or, at least, none but an ocular witness could con- 
ceive of their numbers. Destruction by hand was out of the 
question,' in this case. He put sheets under the tree, and 
shook them down, and burned them. Dr. Green, of Mansfield, 
whose investigations have thrown much light on the history of 



336 breck's book of flowers. 

this insect, proposes protecting plants with millinet, and saya 
that in this way only did he succeed in securing his grape- 
vines from depredation. His remarks also show the utility of 
gathering them. * Eighty-six of these spoilers,' says he, ' were 
known to infest a single rose-bud, and were crushed with one 
grasp of the hand.' Suppose, as was probably the case, that 
one half of them were females; by this destruction, eight hun- 
dred eggs, at least, were prevented from becoming matured. 
Daring the time of their prevalence, Eose-bugs are sometimes 
found in immense numbers on the flowers of the common white- 
weed, or ox-eye daisy, [Chrysantheinun leucantkemum,) a worth- 
less plant, which has come to us from Europe, and has been 
suffered to overrun our pastures, and encroach on our mowing 
lands. In certain cases it may become expedient rapidly to 
mow down the infested white-weed in dry pastures, and con- 
sume it, with the sluggish Rose-bugs, on the spot. 

" Our insect-eating birds undoubtedly devour many of these 
insects, and deserve to be cherished and protected for their ser- 
vices. Rose-bugs are also eaten greedily by domesticated fowls ; 
and when they become exhausted and fall to the ground, or 
when they are about to lay their eggs, they are destroyed by 
moles, insects, and other animals, which lie in wait to seize 
them. Dr. Green informs us, that a species of dragon-fly, or 
devil's needle, devours them. He also says that an insect, 
which he calls the enemy of the Cut-worm, probably the larva 
of a Carabus or predaceous Ground-beetle, preys on the grubs 
of the common Dorbug. In France, the Golden Ground Bee- 
tle {Carabus auratus) devours the female Dor, or Chafer, at 
the moment when she is about to deposit her eggs. I have 
taken one specimen of this fine Ground-Beetle in Massachu- 
setts, and we have several other kinds, equally predaceous, 
which probably contribute to check the increase of our native 
Melolonthians." 



APPENDIX 

TO FIRST EDITION. 



ON THE CULTIVATION OF PLANTS IN THE PARLOR. 

" Descending snow, the golden leaf and sear, 
Are indications of old Time's career ; 
The careful florist tends his sheltered plants, 
Studies their natures, and supplies their wants." 

A FEW plants in the house are desirable, or even indispensable, 
to the female portion of the family, or to invalids, who have a 
taste for flowers. 

A choice collection of plants in the sitting-room or parlor will 
add much to the charms of home ; but as we often see them, 
weak, straggling, drawn up, crowded together, and infested with 
insects, they rather give pain than pleasure. 

In this state, the clear sunlight through the window is far 
preferable to a congregation of coarse earthen pots and saucers, 
with their sickly occupants. Judging from what we too often 
see, cultivators in parlors have very erroneous ideas of what is 
necessary for a perfect development of their plants. In fact, the 
plants are often killed with too much kindness ; too much heat, 
too much water, want of light and air, and want of water, are 
the general causes of the sickly state of plants, which have often 
fallen under our notice ; to which may be added, unsuitable com- 
post or mould. Saucers under the pots, if water is suffered to 
stand in them, are injurious, but necessary for the sake of neat- 
ness ; never, therefore, suffer the water to stand in them, nor to 
be poured into them. The water should always be given on the 
surface, and never water unless the surface is dry, and then in 
29 



838 APPENDIX. 

moderate quantities, for most plants. Raio water only should be 
used, and that of a mild temperature, but not warm. When 
water is necessary, it should be applied in the morning of a mild 
sunny day. 

Watering with guano water may be resorted to, to stimulate 
the plants occasionally ; but an over-dose will be injurious, if not 
destructive. A great spoonful or two to a pail of water will be 
strong enough ; this may be used twice a week. 

It is useless to expend time upon plants in rooms where the 
windows face to the north. South, south-east, or south-west 
exposures are the best ; of course a south window is the very 
best, as it admits the sun all day. 

Light is more important than great heat ; indeed, plants are 
frequently ruined, for all ornamental purposes, by keeping the room 
excessively hot. The hot, dry air of most sitting-rooms of the 
present day is so injurious to the Camellia, as well as some 
other plants, that it can hardly be made to flower, as the buds 
will fall off long before the time of flowering. But I have seen 
as fine blooms of the Camellia in an old-fashioned sitting-room in 
the country, as I have in the green-house. The room was so cold 
at night that the thermometer would fall nearly to freezing, with 
a plenty of air from the old window casements during the day. 
A good temperature for the Camellia is a range of 40° by night, 
to 60° during the day. I do not mean to be understood that this 
should be the highest range in the sun ; but at the back side of 
the room, in the shade. This temperature will also do for most 
plants ; some will thrive better with a higher range, but their 
cultivation should not be attempted in a sitting-room. 

Where there is too much heat, and not well exposed to light, 
the plants will spindle up, and make feeble, sickly growth, and if 
they produce flowers, they will be so weak and pale as to excite 
the pity of the beholder. 

Unless the pots are turned every day, the plants will grow 
one-sided ; every plant should receive as much light as possible. 

A stand for flowers should have rollers attached to the legs, so 
that the plants may with the least trouble be turned round to the 



APPENDIX. 



339 



light, or wheeled into the middle of the room at night, whea the 
weather is severe. 

C03IP0ST FOR PLANTS. 

The most important requisite, for the successful cultivation of 
plants, is to have a stock of suitable compost for various plants, 
to pot them in, when that operation is performed. A plant in 
unsuitable mould cannot be healthy. The following materials 
should be obtained : 

1. Good garden mould. 

2. Mould from decayed turf, from a pasture or field. 

3. Mould from decayed leaves. 

4. Decomposed stable or cow-yard manure. 

5. Sea or river sand. 

6. Peat, from the meadows, that has been exposed to frost. 

7. Coarse sand or gravel. 

8. Broken flower-pots, charcoal, or oyster-shells. 

9. Old mortar, or plastering. 

Garden mould will not be needed if there is a supply of fine 
decayed turf mould, and will be wanted only in case of neces- 
sity. Turf mould, for a basis, is probably the best ingredient for 
a compost for plants. The broken pots, charcoal, &c., are used 
for drainage, to be placed in the bottom of the pot at the time of 
potting ; about one-fifth of the depth of the pot may be filled 
with it when broken up. A little meadow moss over this will 
prevent the mould from leeching down. 

Leaf mould is not always to be obtained ; but it is a precious 
ingredient in a compost, and many plants thrive much better in 
it than in anything else. It takes a long time to decompose 
leaves so as to be suitable for compost. 

To have compost in perfection, the difi"erent ingredients should 
be mixed in advance of the time wanted ; for instance, in the 
spring. They should be thoroughly mixed together, and put 
in heaps in the shade or under cover, and turned over every five 
or six weeks during the summer, as it will be wanted in August 
or September, when the plants are repotted. 



340 APPENDIX. 

Compost for Camellias, Pelargoniums, Roses, and most plants, 
may be made of the following ingredients : 

1 part river or sea sand. 

1 " leaf mould. 

1 " well rotted manure from old hot-beds. 

1 " peat. 

2 ♦' turf or garden mould. 

Or, if no leaf mould, 

1 part sand. 

2 " well rotted manure. 

1 " peat. 

2 " turf or garden mould. 

If there is no peat, substitute turf or garden mould. 
For Cactus : 

2 parts coarse sand. 

3 " leaf and turf mould. 

1 " peat, and 1 oz. broken plaster. 

For Azaleas, Ericas, and most New Holland plants : 

4 parts peat. 

2 " sand. 

1 " garden or turf mould. 
1 " leaf do. 

After the plants have done flowering in the spring, and as soon 
as the frosts are over, the pot should be plunged in the ground in 
a shady place, and watered sparingly during the summer. The 
great object during the summer will be to keep the plants at rest, 
so that they may bloom with greater vigor in the winter. They 
must not be suffered, however, to dry up, excepting the bulbous 
roots ; these may remain in the shade without water, as the moist- 
ure would start them prematurely. 

POTTING PLANTS. 

By the middle of August, or the first of September, the plants 



APPENDIX. 341 

will require to be repotted ; this must be done with care and 
judgment. The plants must be turned out of the pots ; the balls 
of earth about the roots reduced, by rubbing with the hands, 
taking off the decayed fibres and dried roots. After putting to 
the bottom of the new pots the crocks or broken pots, or char- 
coal, let there be enough of the new compost put over the 
crocks to raise the ball to the required height ; then set the ball 
of roots in the centre of the pot, and fill round with the compost, 
using a stick to settle the earth about the roots of the plants. 
After the plants are all potted, give them a good syringing, and 
leave them in a shady, airy place. 

Washing the leaves of Camellias, Oranges, and some other 
plants, with a soft sponge, gives a healthy look to the plants, and 
is of great service to them. 

Geraniums, or Pelargoniums, should be cut in very close, as 
they will make much finer plants, and start with greater vigor, 
and give a greater profusion of bloom, than if this were neglected. 
It will not be necessary to repot the Roses quite so early as the 
Geraniums, Camellias, and some other plants ; they may be kept 
out much longer, and exposed to severe frosts before they are 
potted. The branches should then be reduced to three or four 
buds, and the pots stowed away in the cellar for a couple of 
months. 

Fuchsias may be treated in the same way. When brought 
into the room, in January, they will grow with great vigor, and 
give a finer bloom than if started earlier. 

It is better to keep most of the plants rather cool during the 
months of November and December, and all the hardier kinds 
should be kept out of doors as long as possible. A slight frost 
will not injure a great majority of parlor plants ; but a hard 
frost, although it might not destroy them, would weaken them 
very much. Geraniums, Heliotropes, Begonias, Salvias, and 
others of like tenderness, should be housed as soon as hard 
frosts are expected. 

INSECTS. 

There is a variety of insects which infest parlor plants, and, 
29* 



342 APPENDIX. 

unless looked after rather closely, will destroy their beauty. The 
green fly is a great pest to parlor and green-house plants ; but 
they are easily killed in the green-house, by filling the house 
thoroughly with tobacco smoke at the close of the day, and then 
shutting it up tight for the night. For parlor plants, it will be 
necessary to put them in large boxes, or barrels, and fill them 
with smoke, and cover up tight. This will effectually destroy 
this destructive and disgusting insect. By immersing the plants 
in a tub of soap-suds, they may be freed from the fly. To do 
this, a piece of pasteboard should be made to cover the top of 
the pot, cutting a side slit for the stem ; then, holding the hand 
over the pasteboard, the pot may be inverted without disturbing 
the mould, and, by the immersion, the foliage will be effectually 
freed from the insect. 

The red spider may be detected by examining the leaves, 
which look yellow and sickly ; but they are so small it will re- 
quire good eyes to see them. This minute, ugly customer is not 
so easily got rid of as the green fly. Plants from neglected 
green-houses are often infested with it. The most effectual way 
of destroying these insects is to give them repeated syringing 
with sulphur water. The plants can be taken out of doors in a 
mild day, and the operation performed upon them, remem- 
bering that it is important to syringe the under side of the leaf 
as well as the upper side, as the red spider will be found in 
greater abundance there. 

There is another insect, more difficult to get rid of than either 
of those named. It is the mealy bug, which may be found in 
the axils of the leaves, and on the stems of Oranges, Camellias, 
Heaths, &c. They look like little specks of cotton ; but, upon 
picking them off, a disagreeable, ugly-looking insect will be 
found imbedded in this glutinous, cottony substance. They are 
sometimes very troublesome in graperies, and require much care 
to get rid of them. They are only to be destroyed by indus- 
triously picking them off. 



APPENDIX. 343 



PLANTS SUITABLE FOR PARLOR CULTURE. 

The parlor can be made very gay, during the month of Novem- 
ber and part of December, by a choice collection of Chrysan- 
themums, If they are kept out of the mid-day sun their beauty 
will be greatly prolonged. 

Some of the new vai-ieties of Pompone, or Button Chrysan- 
themums, are very beautiful, and add much interest to a collec- 
tion of this beautiful family. One dozen each of the best large 
varieties, and as many of the new Pompone sorts, will make up a 
good assortment. The colors of the last are more brilliant than 
the others. On some of them the flowers are not much larger 
than fine double Daisies, but are produced in great profusion. 
After flowering, the tops of the plants should be cut ofi", and 
stowed away in a dry cellar, where they may remain till spring. 
For the most successful mode of cultivation, see page 101. 

There is a great variety of plants that succeed well in the 
house, besides those already named. The Cactus tribe embraces 
a great many varieties, which succeed well in very warm, dry 
rooms. The Daphne odora requires but little care, and is one 
of the most highly odoriferous plants in cultivation. The Diosma, 
Heliotrope, Sweet-scented Verbena, Double sweet-scented Violets, 
Jasmines, Perpetual Pinks, Gardenia, or Cape Jasmine, Sweet- 
scented Geraniums, Mahernia odorata. Lemon, Orange, and 
many other plants, are highly prized for their delightful odor. 

Azalea indica in its varieties. Acacias of many beautiful sorts, 
Begonias, Fuchsia, Myrtles, Oleanders, Primulas, Daisies, Gera 
niums (scarlet, rose, and variegated leaf), Pelargoniums, Verbenas, 
Oxalis Stevias, and many other tribes of plants, succeed very 
well in the parlor. I wish it could be said that the family of 
Ericas, or Heaths, so beautiful, would succeed equally as well ; — 
they want a moist atmosphere, and neither very warm nor very 
cool. 

The double Stocks and Wall-flowers are also suitable for the 



344 APPENDIX. 

parlor, and are very simple in their cultivation. These are 
raised from seed, which, if of a good quality, will produce nearly 
half double flowers, or even more. As they are difiieult to 
transplant when large, without severely checking their growth, it 
is best to pot them in the smallest sized pots as soon as they 
show six or eight leaves, and, as they advance in growth, shift 
them into larger sized pots. When the flower buds show them- 
selves, it will be easy to detect those that will be single, which 
should be rejected. Hyacinths, Polyanthus, Narcissus, and many 
other bulbous-rooted plants, flourish in the parlor. For direc- 
tions for their cultivation, see page 82. 

I have named more varieties and species of plants than are 
commonly cultivated in parlors, but the directions given in this 
chapter apply equally to small conservatories connected with the 
sitting-room, where professed gardeners are not employed. For 
such appendages a greater variety of plants will be required than 
for the parlor. 



APPENDIX. 345 



DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF PERENNIAL AND ANNUAL PLOWERS, 
WITH DIRECTIONS FOR THEIR CULTIVATION.* 

" Not a tree, 
A plant, a leaf, a blossom, but contains 
A folio volume. We may read, and read, 
And read again, and still find something new. 
Something to please, and something to instruct." 

Such have been the diligence and perseverance of collectors of 
plants, which have been sent out to all parts of the world, within 
the last fifty years, under the patronage of wealthy individuals 
and associations in Europe, that one would be led to suppose 
that every nook and corner of the globe had been explored, and 
that nothing more of interest could be garnered up to gratify 
the eye of the florist. 

But such is not the fact. Every year brings to light " some- 
thing new, something to please, and something to instruct," from 
the floral kingdom. But, however rare and interesting many 
of these newly discovered plants may be to the florist, their value 
for ornamental purposes cannot be compared with the value of 
some of the improved old standard varieties of the flower garden. 
The science, skill, and perseverance, of amateur gardeners and 
florists, have transformed many comparatively inferior species of 
flowering plants from a state of simplicity and inelegance, to that 
of gorgeous magnificence. We can hardly believe our senses, as 
we call to mind the great improvements that have been made in 
many of the races of ornamental plants, with which we have for 
years been familiar. 

Let us look at the Verbena, hardly known twenty years ago, 
now sporting into every conceivable color and shade, excepting 
yellow, always in bloom, and never tiring. Or the Portulacca, 
with its shining scarlet, purple, yellow, orange, white, and varie- 

* In addition to those noticed in the first edition. 



34b APPENDIX. 

gated blossoms, ever beautiful and bright, making itself too com- 
mon, to be rare, but certainly very gay and lively, forming at the 
present day an indispensable appendage to the flower garden. 
Who would recognize the old fashioned China Aster, since, by 
the florist's hands, it has been transformed into the magnificent 
French Peony, or pyramidal bouquet German Aster ? Or the 
Dahlia, as we first saw it thirty years since ; who would then 
have conceived of its gorgeousness at the present day, or that so 
many generations of " Ne plus ultras, Incomparables, Standard 
of Perfection, and Marvels," should be superseded by other races 
yet more perfect ; or that such hosts of " Kings, Queens, Lords, 
Ladies, and Forget-me-nots," should be so soon forgotten and cast 
forever in the shade ? 

Then the Gillyflower, Petunia, Balsam, Chrysanthemum, Phlox, 
Hollyhock, and other old denizens of the flower garden, — how 
have they been transformed, and their varieties multiplied ! 

What an unlimited field for future improvements opens before 
us ! We shall never arrive at perfection, but great improve- 
ments are yet to be made in many new as well as the old races. 
We do not hold that the excitement and pleasure incident to the 
improvement and cultivation of a flower garden will wholly re- 
move the ills and troubles of life ; but it is an occupation that 
has a tendency to remove many disquietudes of the mind, and 
gives employment for many odd moments, that would otherwise 
be spent in brooding over some real or imaginary evil. We 
think Cowper came near the truth, when he said : 

"The spleen is seldom felt where Flora reigns ; 
The lowering eye, the petulance, the frown. 
And sullen sadness, that o'ershade, distort, 
And mar the face of beauty, when no cause 
For such immeasurable woe appears ; 
These Flora banishes, and gives the fair, 
Sweet smile and bloom, less transient than her own." 

We will now proceed to record some improvements that have 
been made in old flowers, the introduction of new sorts, or to 
notice some that were forgotten in the first edition of this work, 



APPENDIX. 347 

as well as to make some corrections and amendments to what has 
been already written. 



ABRONIA. 

Ahronia uvibellata. — A beautiful and newly introduced 
annual, with long trailing stems, bearing clusters of elegant flow- 
ers in dense umbels ; color, delicate lilac, with white centre, 
highly and deliciously fragrant. 

The seeds are enclosed in a husky covering, and look very 
unpromising, but they vegetate freely. They may be sown as 
early as the ground is ready to receive seed of any kind in the 
spring. It appears to be quite hardy, and easily cultivated, and 
has the advantage of sowing itself, as there will be found an 
abundance of young plants on the ground in the spring, where the 
plants of the last year were grown. The foliage is light green, 
of a long oval shape ; the stem rather succulent or fleshy, lying 
prostrate on the ground, two or three feet in length. It is very 
pretty when trained to neat sticks, or when left to its natural 
mode of growth. Being ever in bloom, enduring light frosts, 
beautiful and sweet, it will, we think, become a great favorite. 
This plant does not agree with the one described by Loudon as 
Ahronia umhellata, introduced from California in 1823. 



ASTER. 

Aster Chinensis. — China Aster. — This old garden flower has 
been very much improved within a few years. There are florists 
in Europe, whose only business consists in improving and classi- 
fying Asters for the seed, and upon whom seedsmen in all parts 
of the world depend for their choice varieties. Seeds from these 
establishments are now received at the Seed Store of Joseph 
Breck & Son, in Boston, and at other places in the country, and 
sold in the following classes : 

1st. Neio French Peony-flowered Aster. — This superb class is 
sold in packages of ten varieties. The flowers are very full and 
double, nearly as large as a medium sized Dahlia, and much hand- 



348 APPENDIX. 

somer, to our taste, and embrace all the colors to be found in the 
Aster. 

2d. German Globe Pyramid Asters, in twelve distinct vari- 
eties. — This class has globular full flowers. When properly 
cultivated, it makes fine branching pyramidal plants, covered 
with a profusion of perfect flowers of every color and shade. 

3d. German Quilled Aster is put up in collections of twelve 
distinct varieties, of the same colors and mixtures as the others. 
In this variety the petals are beautifully quilled, 

4th. French Globe Asters, in twelve varieties, similar to the 
German Globe Aster, but difierent in their growth. 

5th. German Dwarf Asters, in eight varieties. — The dwarfs 
are a beautiful class, not more than eight or ten inches high, 
completely covered with flowers. 

6th. New Dwarf Bouquet Aster, in twelve varieties. — This 
is a very beautiful class, each plant forming a perfect bouquet. 

In the cultivation of improved Asters the soil should be made 
very rich; the tall varieties planted not less than fourteen or 
fifteen inches apart ; the dwarf sorts from ten inches to one foot. 

The Aster is known among the French as the Heine Marguerettes. 
The Peony-flowered variety of the Queen Margaret is grown in 
great perfection by a florist at Versailles, where some of the finest 
varieties have been produced. On account of the beauty, perfec- 
tion, and grandeur of its flowers, and the softness, brilliancy, 
and variety of its colors, it must stand in the first rank among 
the ornamental plants of the flower garden. 

For early blooming plants, the seed should be sown in frames, 
with a little bottom heat, in April. When the plants have be- 
come sufficiently strong, they may be transplanted into beds or 
borders the last of May. But for late flowering plants, they suc- 
ceed full as well when the seed is sown in the open ground, from 
the 1st to the 10th of May. This applies to all the varieties. 



ARCTOTIS. 



Arctotis breviscapa. — New Annual. — The genus Arctotis 
consists of plants mostly from the Cape of Good Hope. It was 



APPENDIX. 349 

named by Vaillant, Arctotheca, from Greek words, signifying bear 
and ca-psule, because its fruit is shaggy like a bear. I do not 
know the origin of the species now described, but received it, 
with other flower seeds, from Paris. The flowers are composite, 
like the Calendula officiTialis, or Pot Marigold, and has some 
resemblance to that flower, but the foliage is quite different. 
The flowers are of a brilliant yellow, and open to the sun, but 
close at night. There is a succession of flowers through the sea- 
son, which makes it a desirable border flower. 



BALSAMS. 

Impatiens balsamina. — There has been a great improve- 
ment made in the Balsam family. They are now divided 
into early, late, dwarf, tall, and Camellia-flowering. This last 
section contains about one dozen beautiful varieties, very large, 
double, and perfect in shape, and resemble roses, or medium 
sized Camellias ; the colors are very brilliant, viz., scarlet, 
crimson, violet, purple, rose, white, yellowish white, purple spot- 
ted, scarlet spotted, rose spotted, red striped, purple striped, vari- 
ously striped and mottled, &c. To raise Balsams in perfection, 
the seed should be sown in hot-beds, in April, and transplanted 
to the garden in June ; care should be taken to give plenty of 
room to each plant, for when crowded together they will not 
develop themselves to perfection. Two feet distance between 
the plants is not too far. Single or semi-double plants should be 
pulled up as soon as the flowers show themselves. Old seed is 
considered better than new. Seed is produced in very small 
quantities on the full double sorts. 

CALLIOPSIS. 

Calliopsis. — Elegant Coreopsis. — Of this showy and very 
common flower, a number of distinct and beautiful varieties have 
been produced. 

C. marmorata has elegantly shaded, striped or mottled flowers, 
of rich brown and yellow. 
30 



350 APPENDIX. 

C. nigra speciosa. — In shape and height similar to C. tinc- 
toria, but the color is dark brown, almost black in the shade ; but, 
in the sunshine, a brilliant brown crimson, like the richest velvet, 

C nana. — A beautiful dwarf variety, from six to ten inches 
high ; flowers of the size of C. tinctoria, with various shades of 
brown and yellow, 

C. bruneo. — A variety, with brown flowers. 

Coreopsis coronata. — A beautiful new annual, with yellow 
flowers marked with brown. 

All the varieties are highly ornamental, but prone to make 
themselves too common, by self-sowing. 



CHEIRANTHUS. 

Cheiranthus cheiri. — Wall Flower. — This ornamental plant 
has been greatly unproved in the multiplication of its varieties, 
in its varied colors, and enlargement of its flowers, — single, 
semi-double, and double ; varying from light yellow to orange, 
and reddish brown to violet. 

CUPHEA. 

Cuphea platycentra. — A flne dwarf plant for bedding out, 
•with scarlet and purple tubular flowers, which are produced in 
great profusion through the whole season. It is raised from cut- 
tings, the same as the "Verbena, and, like that plant, must be housed 
during the winter. 

CHRYSANTHEMUM. 

Chrysanthemum indica. — Ample directions have been given, 
at page 101, for the cultivation of this beautiful class of flowers. 
When these directions were given, the new race of Pompone 
Chrysanthemums was hardly known in this country, but it is 
now becoming common in most collections. They were intro- 
duced, by Mr. Fortune, from China into England, in 1847 ; since 
that time the varieties have been greatly multiplied and im- 
proved by French florists, from seed. Their dwarfy and bushy 



APPENDIX. 351 

habits, dense and small foliage, daisy-like flowers, produced in 
profusion, with the neatness of the button ranunculus flowers, 
render them well adapted for decorative efiect in sitting-rooms 
and lower stages of conservatories, by their gay and unique 
appearance. They succeed well, also, in the garden, if placed in 
sheltered, warm situations. The colors are very brilliant, partic- 
ularly the yellow, orange, and some of the red varieties. 

The varieties sport into every conceivable color, and combi- 
nations of colors, excepting blue and scarlet. 

This variety is sometimes called the Button and sometimes 
the Miniature Chrysanthemum. 



DELPHINIUM. 

Delphinium Breckii, or Brock's Seedling Delphinium, a per- 
ennial Larkspur, No. 1, is, without doubt, one of the finest and 
most desirable of the hardy herbaceous plants. It has the good 
property of a continuous bloom from June to October. The 
flowers are double ; a dazzling blue color ; the plant very hardy. 

There is no blue flower which produces such a brilliant efiect, 
when planted in masses, as this. It is more dwarfing in its hab- 
its than D. Chinensis or Sinensis — growing about two feet high, 
the stems not so flexible, and the color much finer. It is a hybrid, 
probably between D. Sinensis and grandijlora. As it does not 
produce seeds, the only mode of propagation is by roots or cut- 
tings. 

The annual Larkspur is sold in three distinct classes, viz. : 
Delphinium cmisolida, or Branching Larkspur; Delphinium 
ajacis, dwarf; and D. ajacis, tall ; there are about eight dis- 
tinct varieties of each, viz., blue, purple, pearl color, white, rose, 
striped, &c. 



DIELYTRA. 

Dielytra spectabilis. — Showy Dielytra. — This is the finest her- 
baceous perennial in cultivation. A native of China ; a plant 
of neat dwarf habit when grown in pots, and about two feet high 



352 APPENDIX. 

when grown in the ground. In either, it is one of the most strik- 
ing objects in the whole range of floral attraction. The foliage 
is of a light transparent green ; the flowers, which are produced 
on stems in sprays, are of a bright rose pink, about the size of a 
lozenge, and of a heart shape ; the corolla pearly white, set in 
frosted silver ; the stalks are literally gemmed, by hundreds, with 
these beautiful flowers. To cultivate it in perfection, it must 
have a season of frost ; let those for blooming in winter, be 
taken up early in October and potted, then place them in a cold 
frame, and let the weather act on them till after Christmas ; then 
remove the pots in-doors ; will flower in March. It is well to 
fill the frame, in autumn, with decayed leaves, in which plunge the 
pots to the rims. For out-door culture, for which it is eminently 
calculated, it needs not the slightest protection; will endure 
the cold of Canada, and come up in April, and flower splendidly in 
May ; can be divided either in fall or spring. Grown in clumps, 
on a favored part of the garden, shows to a great advantage. 



GOMPHRENA. 

Goviphrena, or Globe Amaranth. — A new species of this 
desirable amaranth has been discovered in Mexico, which makes 
quite an important addition to this class of "immortals," so uni- 
versally cultivated in our gardens. It has reddish orange flow- 
ers, in heads more oval than the common amaranth. Like the 
other amaranths, it should be started in a hotrbed. The flowers 
should be gathered before they are fully mature, and hung up 
with heads down, to. dry. 



GAURA. 

Gaura hendhehner. — This plant, which is from South 
America, is one of the finest that we have received for many 
years. The flowers are formed by a calyx, in four divisions, col- 
ored with red, petals of a flesh-coloi-ed white, which contrast 
agreeably with the lively color of the calyx, with eight light sta- 
mens, with purple anthers. 



APPENDIX. 353 

It flowers on numerous branches, which form a large panicle, and 
continue in blossom from June until the frost comes. The stems 
are straight, growing from two to three feet in height, furnished 
with linear leaves, forming an elegant, although rather a slender, 
bush ; large, lanceolated leaves united in a tuft at the base of the 
plant. 

The Gaura Lendheimer is a perennial, and should be sown in 
Jlay or June, like other plants of this class, so as to flower the 
following year. It seems to be hardy, having stood in the open 
ground, with a little protection, through the winter ; it may also 
be cultivated as an annual, for, if sown in April, it will begin to 
flower in July. 

The Gaura Lendheimer will probably soon become very com- 
mon in our gardens ; it can be grown in beautiful masses, its 
flowers are very fine for bouquets, and, above all, it commends 
itself to us for its long continued flowering. 

HELICHRYSUM. 

Helichrysum. — Some splendid varieties or species of this 
beautiful immortal have appeared from Germany, viz. : 

H. bracteatuvi Tianum, yellow and white, dwarf varieties. 
H. compositum monstrosum Tianum (dwarf). H. brachyrhync- 
hum (new), and if there ia anything in a name, it ought to be 
fine. 

H. horricsorum rex, H. robustum niveum, H. macanthrum, 
white and yellow varieties, tipped with purple, and the varieties 
approaching purple are vcrj fine. 



HOLLYHOCK. 

Hollyhock. — lliis old-fashioned flower has received much 
attention from florists of late, and new and beautiful varieties are 
continually produced. 

As this plant generally perishes, after flowering two years, it is 
difl&cult to perpetuate the varieties. It can be done, however, by 
dividing the roots every year after flowering, or from cuttings of 
30* 



354 APPENDIX. 

the flower-stem, or from suckers. But, as it requires much care 

and skill to keep them, and as the seed from the fine improved 
sorts produces flowers similar to the parent, the easiest way to 
keep up a stock is to sow the seeds every year, carefully noting 
them as they come into flower, destroying all inferior and single 
varieties. Referring to pages 88 and 89, the reader will per- 
ceive that I have given the names of twenty beautiful varieties. 
Probably these varieties are all extinct now ; at any rate, they 
are not to be obtained in this country ; nor can any varieties be 
named one year, with certainty that they can be furnished two 
years after. 

From seeds alone, then, florists can be sure of having a con- 
stant stock of this very ornamental shrubbery-flower. 



LOBELIA. 

Lobelia cardinalis var. rosea. — This beautiful variety of the 
Cardinal flower was found in the neighborhood of Tewksbury, in 
this state. The flowers differ from the Cardinalis only in color; 
instead of being a brilliant scarlet, they are a fine rose color, 
striped or shaded with scarlet; the cultivation of course the 
same. There is no flower that improves so much by cultivation 
as the Cardinal flower. If a moist location is found in the gar- 
den, made light by the application of sand, and enriched by 
strong manure, this superb plant will repay all the trouble ; or, 
without any extra care, in common garden soil it will do well. 



MATHIOLA OR STOCK. 

Mathiola incana, annua, ^-c. — Stock Grillyflower. — This 
old-fashioned standard garden-flower has been very much im- 
proved in all the sections of its interesting family. 

M. incana is found in two divisions ; one with hoary, and one 
with smooth leaves, and these with flowers of every shade, from 
straw color to pure white and crimson, and crimson, violet, and 
purple. This is the Brompton, or biennial stock, and flowers in the 
winter or spring, after sowing the seed. If the seed is of good 



APPENDIX. 355 

quality, at least half of the plants will produce double flowers, 
often more. 

M. a?mua, or Ten Weeks' Stock, is annual, flowers in July, 
August, and September; no less than thirty-sis varieties, 
including wall or smooth and rough leaf plants, with all the 
colors and shades of the Brompton. 

M. autumTialis, intermediate or fall flowering, is one of the 
finest of the family, producing very large double and single flow- 
ers, of the same character of the biennials, with as many varie- 
ties of shade and color in the flowers, 

M. perennis. — Perennial Stock. — This section of the family 
has the same characteristics as the other, except they will con- 
tinue to flower year after year ; but neither this nor the Brompton 
will stand a New England winter, and are cultivated only as 
gi-een-house or parlor plants. 

The new large Emperor and new large flowering stocks, are 
improved varieties of the Gillyflower, suitable for green-house 
cultivation. The improved German stocks are imported and sold 
in packages, as follows : 

Ten weeks' stock, in 12 best varieties. 
Autumnal do. 12 do. do. 
Brompton do, 10 do. do. 
New large flowering, 6 do. do. 
' Emperor, 5 do, do. 

There are also packages of thirty-six varieties of Ten Weeks' 
Stock, and more in packages of other varieties, but many of the 
colors and shades have so much resemblance, that the above col- 
lections embrace all a florist would desire. 

There are florists in Germany, who devote their whole time in 
hybridizing and improving the Gillyflower. Seed from such 
sources will be sure to give satisfaction. 



MIRABILIS. 



Mirahilis Jalapa. — Four O'clocks. — Belle de nuit. — Every 
one, almost, is acquainted with the white, purple, yellow and red 



356 APPENDIX. 

striped varieties of the Four O'clocks. The long-flowered {Mira- 
bilis lomjijiora), sweet-scented, is also well known, but is not so 
common as the first-named. The hybridization of these varieties 
with each other through the long-flowered, has brought forth new 
varieties most remarkably and singularly colored. The same 
plant, and even the same branch, produces very different flowers, 
sometimes of one color only, and others striped ; in some of the 
rarer varieties, that are distinguished by the elongated tube of 
the flower, are recognized the traits of the Mirabilis longijlora. 
These produce but very few seeds, and yet they give us two per- 
fectly distinct kinds, which is a very remarkable, and, perhaps, 
an exceptional example of the fruitful products obtained by 
hybridization. Their cultivation is not diflerent from the com- 
mon varieties; they are multiplied by seeds, or by the roots, 
that are tuberous, like those of the Dahlia, and which ofier the 
same resources for increasing and preserving the several varieties. 
Among other names already mentioned for this admirable flower, 
it is known as World's Wonder, Evening Beauty, Afternoon 
Ladies, &c. 



PERILLA NANKINENSIS. 

Perilla Nankinensis. — Labiate family. — An annual her- 
baceous plant, growing from two and a half to three feet high, 
branching stems well covered with an ample foliage of a dark purple, 
almost black. Leaves petiolate, opposed to each other, entirely 
oval, pointed ends, the sides dented, smooth and glossy on both sur- 
faces, sometimes slightly crisped, and exhaling, when rubbed be- 
tween the fingers, an odor like cinnamon. The flowers are fascic- 
ulated at the axils of the larger leaves, bilabiate, rose or pale 
purple, small, but very numerous, and producing but little efiect. 
The principal ornamental merit of this plant consists in the strange 
color of the foliage, which contrasts in a remarkable manner with 
that of most cultivated plants ; its fine habit, its robust tempera- 
ment, and its being an annual, make it very appropriate for masses 
in the borders of a flower-garden, where, from its sombre appear- 
ance, it contrasts agreeably with the brighter tints of other flowers. 



APPENDIX. 857 

The seeds should be sown in hot-beds in April, and planted out 

the latter part of May. 

—* — 

PHLOX TRIBE. 

There are none of the Perennial herbaceous ornamental plants 
of the flower garden which have passed through so many improve- 
ments as the Phlox family. The various species are so confounded 
by the hybridization of the florist, that the botanist is now puzzled 
to trace the origin of the variety. Within the last five years 
there has been quite a revolution in this interesting tribe, and 
those recommended then are mostly rejected now, and give place 
to many superb imported and home-produced varieties. 

Class No. I., or the varieties from P. suhidata (or Moss Pink), 
have been increased by a few new sorts ; but in Class No. II., a 
June and July flowering Phlox, there are many new sorts ; the 
following have flowered in my grounds, and are all worthy of a 
place in the garden, viz. : 

Annais Chauveri. — White, with light purple eye, (fine). 

Beppo. — Dark red, (very fine). 

Cromwell. — Fine large, rose-color. 

Fleiir cle Marie. — Pure white, with large red eye. 

Insiffnis. — White, shaded with blue and purple. 

Madame Boublat. — Purple and white, shaded. 

Roi de Leopold. — Large white, distinctly striped with purple. 

Speculum. — Pure white, large deep-red eye, (very fine). 

Suaveolens. — Pure white, old variety, (very fine). 

Van Houtte. — White, striped with purple. 

Maculata. — Light purple, (old variety). 

I have also many other new sorts, which have not yet shown 
flowers, or are so weak that no description can be given now. 

Class III. — Flowering in July and August. — The following 
are foreign varieties, some of them new : 

PJilox alba grandijlora. — Large pure-white flowers. 

Coronation. — Clear bright pink. 

Compte de Ckambord. — White, with deep-red eye. 



358 APPENDIX. 

Decora. — Pure white, with dark-red eye. 

Admiral de Leon, — Light-red, with dark-red eye, (fine). 

Atro purpurea. — Purple-red. 

Virgilia. — Dark-red, (very fine). 

Grand Sultan. — Large white flowers, with light-purple eye. 

Madaine Lierval, — White, with delicate lilac eye, (fine). 

Eosa super ba. — Dwarf, fine clear rose. 

Ne plus ultra. — Pink, with deep-red eye. 

Maryanne. — White, striped with purple. 

From my own raising, out of more than one thousand plants : 

America. — Blush, with peach-bloom centre, (fine). 

Mrs. Webster. — Large white flower, in dense corymbs, (very 

fine). 
Mrs. Breck. — Red, with deep-red eye. 
Breck^s Perfection. — White, striped with red, red eye. 
Breckii. — Light-purple, with white eye, (very late). 
Snowjlake. — Pure white, in dense heads. 
Yariegata. — White, mottled with purple. 
Grandijlora nova. — Rose and white shaded, (very fine). 

These varieties named constitute but a small portion of Phloxes 
now in my garden ; after rejecting everything inferior, I found 
over one hundred named or numbered sorts worthy of cultivation, 
and which I intend to reduce to fifty of the very best in another 
season. I had also about twenty newly-imported varieties, that had 
not flowered, or were so weak as not to give their true character. 

Phlox Drummondii. — This beautiful annual is also given to 
sporting. If some of its brilliancy could be given to the peren- 
nial sorts, by hybridization, it would give a finishing touch to 
many of the improved varieties. The Drummond Phlox is found 
in varieties of pure white ; red with white eye, or occulata ; Prince 
Leopold ; dark-crimson, purple, &c. 



RUDBECKIA AMPLEXIC AULIS. 

An herbaceous annual plant from South America, grows from 
three to three and a half feet high ; straight, branching stems ; 



APPENDIX. 359 

lanceolated radical leaves, sinewy and petiolated ; the caulines 
narrow, embracing the stem, of a grayish-green color. Flowers 
large, solitary terminals, with broad streaks of a fine yellow, 
marked with a lively stripe of purple at the base; conical disk of 
a deep brown ; in blossom from the month of June until Septem- 
ber. This plant, remarkable for the brilliancy of its flowers, and 
for the length of time that it continues in bloom, is hardy, and 
its cultivation requires no particular care. 



YUCA FILAMENTOSA. 

The following interesting account of this plant is from the life 
of Mrs. Margaret Fuller Ossoli : 

" I had kept two plants of the Yuca filamentosa six or seven 
years, though they had never bloomed. I knew nothing of them, 
and had no notion of what feelings they would excite. Last June 
I found in bud the one which had the most favorable exposure, 
A week or two after, the other, which was more in the shade, put 
out flower-buds, and I thought I should be able to watch them 
one after the other ; but no ! — the one which was most favored 
waited for the other, and both flowered together at the full of the 
moon. This struck me as very singular; but as soon as I saw 
the flower by moonlight, I understood it. This flower is made 
for the moon, as the Heliotrope is for the sun, and refuses other 
influences, or to display its beauty in any other light. 

" The first night I saw it in flower I was conscious of a peculiar 
delight, — I may even say rapture. Many white flowers are far 
more beautiful by day; the Lily, for instance, with its firm, 
thick leaves, needs the broadest light to manifest its purity. But 
these transparent leaves of greenish white, which look dull in the 
day, are melted by the moon to glistening silver. And not only 
does this plant not appear in its destined hue by day, but the 
flower, though as bell-shaped it cannot quite close again after 
having once expanded, yet presses its petals together as closely 
as it can, hangs down its little blossoms, and its tall stalk at noon 
seems to have reared itself only to betray a shabby insignificance. 



360 APPENDIX. 

Thus, too, with the leaves, which have burst asunder suddenly 
like the fan-palm, to make way for the stalk, — their edges in 
the day-time look ragged and uiifinished, as if nature had left 
them in a hurry for some more pleasing task. On the day after 
the evening when I had thought it so beautiful, I could not con- 
ceive how I had made such a mistake. But the second evening 
I went out into the garden again. In clearest moonlight stood 
my flower, more beautiful than ever. The stalk pierced the air 
like a spear ; all the little bells had erected themselves around 
it in most graceful array, with petals more transparent than sil- 
ver, and of softer light than the diamond. Their edges were 
clearly but not sharply defined ; they seemed to have been made 
by the moon's rays. The leaves, which had looked ragged by 
day, now seemed fringed by most delicate gossamer, and the plant 
might claim, with pride, its distinctive epithet o? Jilamentosa. 
I looked at it till my feelings became so strong that I longed to 
share it. The thought which filled my mind was, that here 
we saw the type of pure feminine beauty, in the moon's own 
flower. 

" I have since had further opportunity of watchiflg the Yuca, 
and verified these observations — that she will not flower till 
the full moon, and chooses to hide her beauty from the eye of 
day." 



WHITLAVIA GRANDIFLORA. 

An elegant new annual, from California, with blue, bell-shaped 
flowers. It produces its flowers in continued succession, from 
June to October. In habit the plant resembles the Eutoca tribe, 
but the flowers are more like the Campanula ; of a very rich 
dark blue. In heavy, wet soils, this plant does not succeed well, 
but flourishes in light, sandy loam. 



ZAUSCHNERIA CALIFORNICA. 

An elegant herbaceous perennial plant, from California, where 
it is found in very sandy soils. The plant grows in bunches ; 



APPENDIX. 361 

the flowers, a brilliant scarlet, tubular or trumpet-shaped, ter- 
minating in five unequal divisions — stamen and pistil pro- 
jecting; flowers solitary, produced in the axils of the leaves; 
continuing in bloom most of the season ; tender in wet soil, but 
has proved hardy, with a little protection, in light soil. 
31 



PLANTS SUITABLE FOR BEDDING-OUT, 

OR TO BE GROWN IN MASSES. 

" Put on your brightest, richest dress, 
Wear all your gems, blest vale of ours ! " 

" Strew the glad and smiling ground 
With every flower." 

The taste for growing flowers, in beds or vases, has greatly 
increased within a few years. This mode of disposing flowers in 
the garden has a very pleasing efiect, whether they are grown in 
figures cut out of the grass, on the lawn, in patches on the bor- 
ders, or in irregular beds of the parterre. 

The varieties best suited for this purpose have been multiplied 
to a great extent of late years ; and, if we might judge from the 
continued and increasing demand for them from year to year, 
we may conclude that this mode of planting has become quite 
popular. 



ABKONIA, 



Abronia umlellata has already been spoken of as a plant 
suited for this purpose. 



AGERATUM. 

Ageratum Mexicanum. — Its pale blue and white varieties are 
annuals, easily raised from seed, and used for bedding-out. The 
best plants, however, are those raised from cuttings, as they are 
pore compact and dwarfish in their habits, and do not run so 
^uch to foliage and stem as those from seed, and produce a 
greater profusion of bloom. Plants taken up in autumn, and 
placed in the conservatory, will, when pruned in, produce a 
plenty of young wood for cuttings, or for flowers during 
winter. 



APPENDIX. 363 

ANTIRRHINUM. 

Antirrhinums, or Snap Dragons, as they are commonly called, 
are among the most showy of bedding-out plants. This flower 
sports into innumerable varieties, the colors of which, in some of 
them, are very brilliant. 

Their cultivation is very simple, from seed ; they will flower the 
same year, if sown early. They thrive best in rich, sandy loam ; 
or, though in heavy, moist soil, they will grow with greater 
vigor, they will not flower so profusely as when planted in light, 
or drier soils. Nor will the plants, which are biennial, stand 
the winter so well. 

To perpetuate superior varieties, the plants must be taken up 
in autumn, and potted, and then placed in a conservatory, or 
green-house, where they will blossom ; propagate from cuttings, 
in January, which will give good, strong plants for spring, and, 
when planted out, will give a mass of splendid flowers the whole 
of August and September. 

Cupliea jjlatycentra has already been alluded to as a handsome 
bedding plant. 

CALCEOLARIA. 

Calceolaria, variety Nobey, rich yellow, and Sidta^i, rich crim- 
son, are splendid flowering plants, and continue in bloom all the 
season in the open ground. They also succeed flnely in pots. 

They are raised from cuttings, and furnished in small pots, and 
may be turned into beds or the border about the 1st of June. 



FUCHSIAS. 

Fuchsias succeed admirably when planted in the flower-garden. 
The following directions will give the young cultivator some 
hints relative to their propagation and culture : 

" Fuchsias are readily propagated by cuttings, in sand, with 
a mixture of peat ; to grow the plants for a bloom all summer, 
they should be started in February, in the green-house, first in 



364 APPENDIX. 

small pots, and shifted, when the roots completely fill it, into a 
mixture of fresh loam peat-leaf mould from the woods, well- 
rotted manure, and a little sand ; mix thoroughly, and break 
finely {not sifted), with the spade or trowel; give the roots good 
drainage, place them in the warmest part of the green-house, and 
water frequently ; as the warmth of summer approaches, and 
the green-house, or conservatory, becomes empty of plants, placti 
your Fuchsias in the most favored position, shading them, with a 
mat or cotton awning, from the sun, after ten o'clock in the 
morning, which remove at five P. M., unless the sun is ofi" sooner. 
This treatment, with a gentle syi'inging of the foliage twice a 
day, — which, if carefully done, does not materially injure the 
flowers, — they will produce an abundant bloom all summer and 
autumn, and will well reward your care. No class of plants is 
more graceful and elegant. The striking contrast of white, 
carmine, rose, and purple, renders the tout ensemble perfectly 
charming. Gradually lessen watering after the 1st of Octo- 
ber, and by November merely keep in moisture enough to pre- 
serve vitality ; place them in the out-of-the-way part of the 
green-house, on a dry shelf, and attend to merely keep in life till 
February, when commence to start them." 

For a summer conservatory they are unequalled, occupying 
an otherwise nearly empty house, and delighting you with their 
graceful flowers all the season. 



GAILLARDIA. 

Gaillardia picta. — This is a very ornamental bedding plant. 
It is perennial, but not hardy enough to stand the winter ; and 
as its seeds are mostly abortive, propagation from cuttings must 
be resorted to, for a stock of plants. 

The plant has a dwarfy, bushy habit, producing a profusion of 
bloom all the season ; the flowers are shaped like the Coreopsis, 
but much larger and finer ; color, crimson, edged with yellow. 
The plants are sold in the spring, in small pots, with the Verbena, 
&c. The old plants must be taken up in autumn. 



APPENDIX. 365 



GERANIUM, 



Geranium, Scarlet. — Nothing can exceed the beauty and 
brilliance of a collection of Dwarf Scarlet Geraniums, either in 
beds or in pots ; they enliven the garden or balcony all summer. 
If removed into a warm conservatory in November, and a 
little water given them until the middle of December, when 
they commence growing, they will flower from January until 
April. They are easily raised from cuttings, which, if started 
in February, will make good plants for summer planting. 

The variety of Scarlet Geraniums, with silver-edged leaves, 
called the " Flower of the Day" is a magnificent but scarce 
bedding plant. There are many varieties of the Scarlet Gera- 
nium, Those denominated Tom Thumb are dwarfs, some of them 
very small in their growth, and vary in intensity of color, mode 
of growth, foliage, &c. 

Geranium Lucia rosea. — This is a sport from the Scarlet 
Geranium. It blooms freely and abundantly in the open ground. 
It is a very compact-growing plant, with short jointed stems, and 
good-sized leaves, of a soft and velvety character. The flower- 
stems are strong, and grow erect, so that the trusses of bloom are 
brought well above the foliage ; the color of the flowers is a most 
delicate soft pink, or peach blossom, with a lovely white eye, — 
altogether a distinct color among Geraniums. It is a gem in the 
flower-garden, being not only distinct, but superlatively beautiful ; 
cultivation the same as in other varieties. 

Heliotropes arc desirable, on account of the esquisite fragrance 
they impart to a bouquet, and some of the varieties are highly 
ornamental. As they are tender, the first hard frost destroys 
their beauty. They are propagated from cuttings, and sold in 

small pots, the same as Verbenas. 

— ♦ — 
LANTANA. 

Lantana. — One of the ancient names of the Laburimm, 
which this resembles a little in foliage. The species are all 
green-house plants, but flower finely in the garden. They are 
31# 



866 APPENDIX. 

rapid growers, and free flowerers, and readily increased by cut- 
tings. They form small bushes, with pink, yellow, orange, or 
changeable heads of flowers. L. Selloiuii, with orange flowers, 
changeable to scarlet, is the finest for the garden. A small plant, 
l)ut out the first of June, will increase to a large size at the close 
of the season, and be in continual bloom. This is too large for 

beds, but fine for grouping. 

— « — 
PETUNIAS. 

Petunias. — No class of summer flowers better repay the small 
care they require, than Petunias ; they are a mass of gay bloom 
from June to November, and, when planted in patches, or in 
beds, or even in pots, or vases, flower ad infinitum. They are 
successfully raised from seed, sown in a hot-bed in March; 
they may afterwards be pricked out into small pots, and, when 
sufiiciently strong, turned into the open ground, some time in 
May. A bed of good seedlings, in full bloom, is a brilliant sight. 

The finer varieties are increased from cuttings. The best time 
is late in the summer, and from plants that have been headed 
down for tbat purpose ; or, if the plants are taken up in autumn, 
and kept in the green-house, they will make abundant increase 
from cuttings during the winter. As it is not generally con- 
venient to keep the plant over the winter, it is more economical 
to purchase a new stock of choice varieties of the florist every 
spring, as the best sorts are sold at about $2 per dozen. 



PYRETHRUM. 

Pyrethrum parthe7iium, or Double Feverfew. — The abun- 
dance of fine double pure white daisy-like flowers, which this plant 
produces through the whole season, will ever make it a favorite 
for ornamenting the garden. As the seed will not produce fine 
double flowers in one of a thousand, and as the double varieties 
will not stand through the winter in the garden, young plants for 
bedding-out must be raised from cuttings. 

To produce fine bushy plants, the leading shoots should be 
pinched ofi" while young. The pure white of this plant shows oif 
to good advantage with the brilliant scarlet of the geranium ; they 



APPENDIX. 367 

are, tlierefoi'c, very appropriately planted together, and produce 
a dazzling effect. Or, when planted with Delphiniuni Brecldi, the 
rich blue of the last blends exquisitely with the white of the 
Feverfew. 

SALVIA. 

Salvia patens, splendens, fulgens, coccinnea, Lambourniana, 
and other varieties of the Salvia, or ornamental Sage, are beau- 
tiful plants for masses, or beds, when properly managed. 

Salvia patois. — This Salvia, with large flowers, of the finest 
ultramarine blue, perhaps, to be found in the vegetable kingdom, 
is a very fine plant for bedding-out, to form a mass of color in 
the flower-garden. By pegging down the shoots as they grow, 
the dwarfish compact habit will be attained, so necessary to good 
effect in flower-gardens arranged in this way. 

S. Lambourniana. — A tall-growing species, with fine plum- 
purple flowers. If the plant is dwarfed, by pinching off the lead- 
ing shoots, it makes a good plant for the flower-garden. 

S. leucantha has violet-purple and lilac flowers; is a fine 
bedding plant. 

S. fulgens, with crimson-scarlet, S. splenden major, with ver- 
milion-scarlet, and S. coccinnea, with scarlet flowers, are all rich 
and showy plants for masses, but grow rather too strong for beds, 
unless pinched in and dwarfed. 



SENECIO. 
Senecio elegans plena, or Double- Jacobea. — There are a num- 
ber of superior varieties of this flower, which are suitable for 
bedding-out, viz., the double, crimson, purple, rose and white; 
and these are perpetuated by raising from cuttings, as, when 
raised from seed, extra varieties may not be expected, although 

there may be some fine flowers. 

— * — 
VERBENA. 

The habits of this interesting flower render it one of the 
most desirable, for ornamenting the lawn, of any of the bedding 
plants. The flowers are produced, from June to November, in 



S68 APPENDIX. 

great profusion, and then almost every color and sliadc may be 
selected to suit the fancy. 

Verbenas may be planted out of doors any time after the 
tenth of May. They delight in a fresh rich soil, and warm ex- 
posure. In dry weather in midsummer water them moderately 
every evening. They are readily propagated from cuttings in 
September, and will strike in sand in ten days. They should 
then be placed in small pots of good compost, and removed to 
larger pots when the small ones become filled with roots. 
Plunge the pots in the ground in a warm exposure. By the 
middle of October the plants will be strong and vigorous, and 
may then be taken up and placed in the green-house, close to 
the glass. They will flow-er in a short time, but are more useful 
for propagating by cuttings, during the winter, in order to fur- 
nish a good supply for the garden-beds in the spring. In 
winter, avoid too much damp and heat. Keep them carefully 
from frost, which checks them for a long time. 

There is much difficulty in keeping the Verbena through the 
winter, in consequence of a general desire to keep them in a 
blooming state when they require rest. They should be kept as 
cool and dry as possible while cold weather lasts, giving just water 
enough to maintain verdure. They will bear quite severe frosts 
with this treatment ; while, if kept watered and growing in the 
usual way, they perish and damp off with a little cold. 

Verbenas are easily raised from seed, but the plants will not 
be strong enough to bloom until late in the season, and will not, 
therefore, be valuable for effect the first season. Many interest- 
ing varieties Avili be the result from a small package of seed. 

The Lemon-scented Verbena is a desirable plant in the gar- 
den, on account of its delicious fragrance. One plant, at least* 
should find a place in every collection. It grows very strong 
when planted out. The flowers are not of much account, but 
the oder is always grateful. 



VERONICA. 
reronica Andersonii is a green-house bushy plant, and grows 
with gi'cat vigor in the garden when planted out. Tlie blue 



APPENDIX. 369 

flowers are arranged in spikes, which are produced all the season. 
The foliage is very beautiful, of a rich glossy green. A small 
plaut will grow to a large size, and retain its beauty and flowers 
after a number of hard frosts, but it will not live out through the 
winter. 

I have thus far brought to notice mostly such plants as are to 
be housed through the winter ; but there are great numbers of 
hardy perennial and annual flowering plants, that are also suitable 
for bedding-out or planting in masses. 

The Portulacca, Escholtsia, BrummGiid Phlox, Drumvioiid 
Coreopsis, Nemophillas, Rocket -Larli spur, Ten-week Stocks, Cati- 
dytufts, &c., are suitable for this style of planting; in fact, all 
the flowers of the garden are best disposed of in this way. Much 
taste and knowledge of the plants will be required in grouping 
and arranging the colors so as to give the most striking effect. 
Hollyhocks, and all tall-growing plants, should be planted in 
the background, or most distant part of the garden. "Where a 
number of plants are grouped together, the tallest should be 
placed in the middle, so that every part of the group may be ex- 
posed, or on the back side, where there will be only a front 
view. Where there is a succession of groups on the lawn, those 
near at hand from the walk should consist of dwarf plants, and 
those of increased height as the groups recede from the main 
point of view. 

Some colors harmonize with each other, and blend to perfec- 
tion ; while the reverse is the case with others. For instance, 
white and scarlet are in unison, and show together to great ad- 
vantage ; also blue and scarlet ; bright red and yellow ; red, pink 
and white ; orange, yellow, sulphur and white ; purple, dark blue, 
light blue and white, and many other combinations and shades 
harmonize. But blue and yellow should not stand side by side. 
Dull red and yellow do not harmonize. 

The ladies will find it a very interesting study to learn the art 
of arranging the flowers of the garden ; and such as have a correct 
taste for dress, will, probably, be the most expert scholars in this 
school. 



370 APPENDIX. 



ORNAMENTAL AND SHADE TREES, 

SUITABLK FOR PARKS, ROADSIDES, LAWNS, AND LARGE PLANTATIONS; AND 
SMALL TREES AND SHRUBS, FOR THE GARDEN OR SHRUBBERY. 



The original design of this work was for tlie flower-garden 
alone; but, as many shrubs and trees are connected with the 
flower-garden, and as there is an increasing taste for ornamental 
and shade trees for public squares and roadsides, as well as for 
landscape gardening, I have thought it would meet the wishes of 
the public that a brief notice should be given of some of the most 
prominent trees suitable for those purposes ; and also of some 
shrubs omitted in former editions, and some new ones recently in- 
troduced. 

AILANTHUS. 

A. (jlandulosa. — Chinese Ailanthus, or Tree of Heaven. — 
This tree has large, elegant foliage, resembling the leaves of the 
Stag-horn Sumach, but on a much larger scale. There is one 
great objection to this tree, which will prevent its general intro- 
duction for shade : the flowers exhale a disagreeable odor, which 
taints the air to a great distance. It is said also to produce 
sickness. Whether this is the case or not, I cannot say ; but I 
know that a tree in my neighborhood is a great nuisance when 

in bloom. 

— ♦ — 

iESCULUS. 

Horse Chestnut. — This tree, when planted in a rich soil, grows 
to a large size, and is beautiful in shape, foliage and flower ; and, 
as it is not subject to destructive insects, is valuable for shade in 
streets, or for extensive ornamental grounds. 



APPENDIX. 371 

The Double-flowering Horse Chestnut grows to a large size, 
and is much like the common Horse Chestnut ; but, when in bloom, 
presents a far more beautiful appearance, the flowers being so 
double as to resemble the Double Pink Hyacinth. The tree 
flowers when quite young, and is readily propagated by grafting 
on the common species. 

JE. flava is a native of our western and south-western states, 
and is found growing to the height of eighty feet, and four feet 
in diameter ; and has yellow flowers. 

M. glabra, or tlie Ohio Buckeye, is a tree with rough bark. 

The Cut leaf, Variegated leaf, and other species and varieties 
of this tree, are suitable for streets, or the shrubbery. Some 
of them are shrubs, or small trees, — as M. parviflora, Califor- 
nica, pavia, &c. JE. rubicunda is a very handsome species, with 
pink flowers. 

ACER. 

Acer, or the Maple Family. — More than forty species of 
Maple are known, of which ten belong to the United States, and 
nearly all are desirable ornamental shade trees. The common 
species of New England are the Red Maple, Rock Maple, and 
White Maple, all first-rate shade trees. We have, also, the 
Striped and Mountain Maple, smaller trees, not so well known as 
the others, and interesting in large plantations. 

" The Red Maple, called also the White, Swamp, Scarlet, and 
the Soft Maple, is a tree of middling size, growing abundantly in 
the swamps and low grounds in most parts of the state. Its 
flowers, which appear in April or May, before the leaves, are of 
a bright crimson or scarlet, and make a striking appearance in 
whorls, or pairs, of sessile-crowned bunches, on the scarlet or pur- 
ple branches. The Red Maple is usually a low, round-headed 
tree, of less beauty of shape than either of the other species. But 
the great variety of rich hues, which it assumes earlier in the fall 
than any other tree, gives it a conspicuous place in our many- 
colored landscape." It is a tree of very rapid growth, and, al' 



372 APPENDIX. 

though it is more at home in a wet soil, succeeds very -well in any 
common good soil. This tree is sufficiently large for streets or 
parks, growing in moist land to the height of eighty feet ; it is 
highly ornamental while in flower, in seed, or in the rich autum- 
nal tints of its foliage. 

Acer dasycarpum. — White Maple. — This species is sometimes 
confounded with the Red Maple, but Emerson says, " It may be 
easily distinguished by the silvery whiteness of the under surface 
of the leaves, and by the color of the spray. The young shoots 
are of a light green, inclined to yellow, with oblong brown dots ; 
in the second year they become finely striate with brown, and the 
dots enlarge. The beauty of the finely-cut foliage, the contrast 
between the rich green of the upper surface of the leaves and the 
silver color of the lower, and the magnificent spread of the 
limbs of the White Maple, recommend it as an ornamental tree ; 
and it has been estensively introduced in New York, Philadel- 
phia, and some other cities." I was familiar with a number of 
large White Maple trees, growing in Lancaster, Mass., one of which, 
near Centre Bridge, in a meadow-pasture, is thus described by 
Mr. Emerson : " In 1840 it was eighteen feet five inches in cir- 
cumference at one foot from the ground, the bulging roots pre- 
venting a nearer measurement at the surface. At three feet it 
measured sixteen feet eight inches ; at six feet, thirteen feet ten 
and a half inches. It divides, at a low point, into several large 
branches, and rises to about sixty feet." 

Acer saccharinum. — The Kock or Sugar Maple. — The Rock 
Maple is easily distinguished from the other Maples by the 
roundness of the notch between the lobes of the leaves, which, io 
those already described, is somewhat acute. This tree, which is 
also called Hard Maple, from the character of its wood, and Sugar 
Maple, from the valuable product of its sap, is, in all respects, 
the most remarkable tree of the family. When young, it is a 
beautiful, neat, and shapely tree, with a rich, full, leafy head, of 
a great variety of forms, enlarging upwards, and forming a 
broad mass above ; or, tapering at each extremity, and full in the 
middle, supported by an erect, smooth, agreeably-clouded column, 



APPENDIX. 373 

with a clean bark, and a cheerful appearance of vigor. For shade 
trees, for street or park, there are none that excel the Rock Maple 
in the richness of its green foliage through the summer, and 
beautiful tints of yellow and orange in autumn, nor for the grace- 
fulness and beauty of its proportions. 



BETULA. 

Birch. — There are five species of the Eirch found in Massa- 
chusetts, viz., the Black, Yellow, Red, Canoe, and Gray or White 
Birch, — all desirable trees in large plantations ; there is also a 
shrubby species. 

B. pendula, or the Weeping Birch, is one of the most graceful 
trees of the genus ; it is a native of England, and may be ob- 
tained at any of the principal nurseries. The Cut-leaf Birch is 
another ornamental variety. 



B E R B E R I S , 



B. vulgaris. — The variety of common Berberry, with purple 
foliage, is desirable in large collections. 



CASTANBA. 

The Americayi Chestnut (C. vesca) is rarely seen in our public 
•squares ; but for what reason a tree so grand and imposing should 
be neglected, I have never been able to learn, unless it is the one 
given by a former mayor of the city of Boston. When asked why 
he did not encourage the planting of Chestnuts, Walnuts and Oaks, 
among other trees on the Common, he replied that the boys would 
mutilate the trees in gathering the nuts. Since then, one of his 
successors in office has ordered squirrels for domestication in this 
32 



374 APPENDIX. 

celebrated park. "Would it not have been better to plant the 
trees most appropriate for these little animals in advance of their 
introduction to city life ? Would they not have felt a little more 
at home, where there was a plenty of nut-bearing trees, rather 
than among Elms, Lindens, &c. ? 

The Spanish or Sweet Chestnut is from the south of Europe, 
This is also a beautiful tree, with foliage equally elegant as that 
of our native species. The nuts are much larger, sweet, but not 
of so rich a flavor as our own species. It bears nuts when the 
trees are quite young. 

—4 

CORONILLA. 

The Coronilla emerus, or Scorpion Senna, is a small shrub, with 
deep yellow flowers, blooming in June and July. 



C R Y L U S . 

Hazel Nut. — Of this common shrub, a number of ornamental 
species or varieties have been introduced ; one with purple foli- 
age, and another fine variety, with leaves gashed, or deeply cut. 



CYDONIA. 

C. Japo7iica var. 'plena. — The double-flowering Japan Quioice 
has been introduced, but is not common. It is said to be very 
beautiful. 



DEUTZIA. 

Deutzia scahra has become by timo, or ought to be at any rate, 
quite common, as it is one of the finest among the hardy orna- 
mental shrubs. 

Deutzia gracilis. — The Slender Deutzia is a beautiful new 
dwarf shrub, more airy and beautiful than D. scabra, growing 
about three feet high, with a slightly pendant habit in the branches ; 



APPENDIX. 375 

the leaves are only about an inch long ; the flowers are star-shaped, 
produced in great profusion, in May and June, of a delicate paper 
white. This is a great acquisition for the front rank in the shrub- 
bery. It also blooms finely in the house in February, if taken 
up in the autumn and potted. It grows readily from cuttings, in 
a rich, liffht soil. 



EUONYMUS 



A variety of the American Euonymus, with purple foliage, 
has been introduced, desirable for shrubbery. 



FRAXINUS. 

Ash. — All the ash trees are desirable in large plantations, for 
parks, squares, or streets. The common Weeping Ash, for single 
standard, is highly ornamental. The Golden Bark Ash and the 
Weeping Grolden Ash are novelties for large collections. 



GLEDITSCHIA. 

G. Triacanthos. — Hcmey Locust tree or Three-thorned Acacia, 
is a tree of symmetrical shape, with beautiful foliage, decorated 
in autumn with broad pods, twelve or fifteen inches in length, of 
a brownish-purple color, hanging gracefully from every part of 
the tree. It is also remarkable for its triple thorns, which effect- 
ually guard the tree from every intruder.* 



HYPERICUM. 

St. Jolm's Wort. — Thi^ is a common weed in the dry pastures 
of New England, bearing a profusion of yellow flowers, too well 
known to be described, and too much detested to be noticed. But 

* There is a popular tradition that the crown of thorns which the Jews 
placed reproachfully on the head of Jesus Christ, was woven from the branches 
of this tree. 



376 APPENDIX. 

there is a shrubby Hypericum that is worthy of a place in a col- 
lection of shrubs. 

Cowper speaks of the Hypericum as remarkably full of yellow 
blossom ; the species vary in this particular : 

"Hypericum all bloom, so thick a swarm 
Of flowers, like flies, clothing her slender robes, 
That scarce a leaf appears." 



INDIGOFERA. 

I. decora — Indigo Shrub. — A handsome shrub, bearing 
spikes of purple flowers, suitable for the shrubbery. 



JUGLANS. 

Walnuts. — All the species of Walnuts are handsome shade 
trees, viz. : /, alia, shell-bark hickory ; /. glabra, Pig, or Hog 
nut ; J. cijiera, Butternut ; /. nigra, Black Walnut, &c. 



J ASMINVM. 

The White Jasamine is an exceedingly elegant plant for 
training over a wall, where that support can be allowed ; and, 
after its first infancy, will bear our winters, with some protection. 
It is a delicate and fragrant shrub, not surpassed by any of the 
species. It is of this that Cowper speaks, in the following pas- 
sage: 

" The Jasmine, throwing wide her elegant sweets. 
The deep dark green of whose unvarnished leaf 
Makes more conspicuoiis, and illumines more 
The bright profusion of her scattered stars." 



L A U R U S . 
Sassafras. — On account of its medicinal virtues, and the beauty 



APPENDIX. 377 

of its foliage, it may be considered one of the most interesting of the 
American forest trees. The bark of the young stem and branches 
is smooth, and of a beautiful green color. When old, the bark 
becomes rough, and the tree is not so interesting as when in its 
younger state. The leaves vary in shape on the same tree, being 
sometimes oval, and without notches, and sometimes divided into 
lobes. The flowers are of a greenish-yellow hue, and appear in 
small clustei's before the unfolding of the leaves, in May, and are 
slightly odoriferous. The leaves are four or five inches in length, 
and, upon their first appearance in the spring, they are downy, 
and of a slender texture. When placed in a cup of water, the 
leaves create a delicate transparent mucilage. The inner bark of 
the tree has a spicy flavor, which renders it a favorite substance 
for chewing, to such persons as must have something to stimulate 
the salival glands, and whose stomachs reject the nauseating poi- 
son of tobacco. The bark of the root is highly odoriferous, and 
was used sixty years ago, in some rural localities, as a substitute 
for more costly spices, in giving flavor to pies, puddings, cakes, &c. 



LIGUSTRUM. 

Privet. — The English Privet is much used for ornamental 
hedges, and is also desirable in a shrubbery, on account of the 
permanency of its elegant foliage. Mr. Emerson is of opinion 
that it is identical with the American privet ; but this is a mis- 
take, as the English retains its foliage much longer, and bears 
green berries. In England it is an evergreen, and nearly so here. 
The American variety is also very desirable. It sheds its foliage 
much sooner, and has black berries. There are a number of 
other varieties or species of privet, which are also desirable. 

The Golden-edged Privet is a very striking variety, with varie- 
gated leaves, i. lucida has elegant, thick, glossy, green foliage, 
and is a valuable acquisition. L. Japonica has large, long, glossy 
leaves, of a bright green ; if found to be hardy, it will be very 
desirable. 

32* 



378 APPENDIX. 

LIRIODENDRON. 

TuUpifera. — Tulip Tree. — This is one of the largest of our 
American trees, exceeded only by the Buttonwood in magnitude. 
The flowers resemble the tulip in shape ; they are produced in 
June and July, large, brilliant, very numerous, variegated with 
difierent colors, among which yellow predominates ; they have an 
agreeable odor, and, surrounded by luxuriant foliage, they produce 
a fine efiect. The leaves are large, divided into three lobes, of 
which the horizontal one is notched at the summit, and the two 
lower ones are rounded at the base. 



LIQUIDAMBER. 

L. styracijlua. — Sweet Gum. — This tree attains the altitude 
of fifty or sixty feet in favorable situations. It is garnished with 
fine foliage, which changes to a dull red with the first autumnal 
frost. The leaves are deeply palmated, varying in size from three 
to six inches. The flowers are not ornamental. For variety's 
sake, a few trees may be desirable for shade. 



PAULO WNIA. 

P. imperialis. — This magnificent tree was spoken of in the first 
edition as being perfectly hardy. It had proved so at that time 
(1851), having stood well for two winters, but it had not shown 
any indication of bloom ; since then, the clusters of flower-buds, 
which show themselves in autumn, have been produced repeatedly, 
but in every instance have perished the following winter. In the 
winter of 1854-5, which was a severe, open one, the tree was 
partially killed, but revived in the summer following, and grew 
very luxuriantly. The tree was in an exposed situation. Per- 
haps, in a more sheltered place, it would have met a different fate ; 
but it is a tree liable to be destroyed or greatly damaged in almost 



APPENDIX. 379 

any location in the northern part of New England. In New 
Jersey it has bloomed finely; but in "Wafehingtou, D. C, this 
winter (1855-6), I understand the flower-buds have been all 

killed by the severe cold. 

— • — 

PLATANUS. 

The American Plane Tree, or Buttonwood {A. occidentalis), 
was formerly considered one of the most important shade trees ; 
but the mysterious disease, which has prevailed throughout the 
country for a number of past years, has so disfigured them that 
they are not desirable at the present time. No cause or remedy 
for the disease has yet been discovered, but it is said to be pass- 
ing away, or, in some places, nearly gone, so that it is hoped this 
majestic tree will resume its importance in the public square, or 
by the roadside. 

P. orientalis, or the Oriental Plane, is a tree of smaller growth 
than the American species. Its general height is about fifty feet. 
It has beautiful foliage, and well deserves a place among other 
trees. 

POPULUS. 

Poplar. — In ancient times, the public places of Eome were 
decorated with rows of this tree, whence it came to be called 
Arbor populi, as being a tree peculiarly appropriated to the peo- 
ple. But Bullet asserts that the Poplar has obtained its name 
from the constant motion of the leaves, which " are in a perpetual 
state of agitation, like the populace^ Populus alba, the Silver- 
leafed Abele, is a tree well adapted for shade, in barren soils, 
where other trees will not succeed. The tree is very objectionable 
on rich and valuable land, as it is very exhausting to the soil, 
throwing up numerous suckers, and making itself quite too com- 
mon. For a protective belt of trees, on the barren shores of 
Cape Cod, and other similar locations, it is highly valuable. On 
an avenue like the Mill Dam leading; from Boston ^ '^i Brookline, 



380 APPENDIX. 

no tree could be substituted that would flourish so well. This 
road is built with marsh mud and gravel, and raised so high above 
the marsh that the suckers will not interfere with the adjoining 
laud. These long lines of Abeles are very beautiful, when the 
leaves are agitated by the wind, and the silvery white of the 
uuder side is more fully contrasted with the green of the upper side. 
Populus tremuliforvds. — American Aspen, or Trembling 
Poplar. — This is a well-known, small, graceful tree of our forests, 
remarkable for the continual agitation of its leaves by the slight- 
est breath of wind. It resembles the P. tremula, or Aspen Pop- 
lar, of Great Britain, in this respect, as well as in its general ap- 
pearance ; and to which Walter Scott alludes in his lines : 

" 0, woman ! in our hours of ease 
Uncertain, coy, and hard to please, 
And variable as the shade 
By the light quivering Aspen made; 
When pain or sickness rends the brow, 
A ministering angel thou." 

The Weeping Poplar has been introduced from Europe, — 
probably a variety of P. tremula, — and is a desirable orna- 
mental tree. 

The Palm of Gilead and Lombardy Poplar were in great re- 
pute fifty years ago, but have had their day, and are generally 
rejected at the present time.* 



PRINOS. 

P. verticillatus. — Black Alder. — This indigenous shrub, so 
ornamental in low grounds and swamps in autumn, was unnoticed 
in the first edition ; but it is worthy, not only of a notice, but also 
of a place in every collection of shrubs. " It is a handsome shrub, 
fiv-e or six — rarely ten or twelve — feet high, with crowded 
branches and leaves, conspicuous for its bunches of axillary blos- 

* There is also a popular tradition connected with the Poplar, namely, that 
the Cross of the Saviour was made of its wood ; and that neither its foliage nor 
its trunk has since been seen, while growing, in a quiescent state. 



APPENDIX. 381 

soms and scarlet berries, remaining late in the autumn, or even 
into the winter. The recent shoots are clothed with an apple- 
green bark, which, on the large branches, turns to a pearly gray, 
and, on the older stems, is of a polished and clouded dark color, 
whence the plant derives its common name," The flowers are 
white, and not very ornamental. The berries are of a bright 
scarlet, covering the twigs, the size of peas, in bunches of two or 
three, and remain long on the bush. The flowers expand in June ; 
the berries are ripe in September. Planted with the Snowberry 
and Privet, they would produce a combination of great beauty in 
the shrubbery. The brilliant scarlet, pure white, and shining 
black berries, of these three shrubs, would form striking contrasts, 
and pleasing to the eye. The Black Alder will require a peaty, 
moist soil. 

PHtws glaber. — The Ink Berry. — " An elegant, delicate- 
looking, evergreen shrub, with slender branches, growing in a few 
sheltered places, in Plymouth and Hingham, to the height of from 
two to eight or nine feet. The elegance of the evergreen foliage 
causes it to be much sought after to be mingled with bouquets in 
winter ; and for this purpose i't is brought from considerable dis- 
tances, and carefully kept in cellars, sometimes for months." 
The leaves are lance-shaped, an inch or more long, and one third 
or half an inch wide. 

QUERCUS. 

Oak. — Mr. Emerson describes eleven species of Oak in his 
report on the trees and shrubs of Massachusetts ; but these are a 
small part of the Oaks indigenous to the United States. " The 
Oak family, the glory of the woods, and the friend and nurse of 
our race in its infancy, yields to no others in its importance to 
mankind." Perhaps the White Oak is one of the most valuable 
of the whole tribe : 

" Not a prince, 
In all that proud old world beyond the deep. 
E'er wore his crown as loftily as he 
"Wears the green coronal of leaves with which 
Thy hand hath graced him." 



382 APPENDIX. 

In addition to our native Oaks, there are some foreign species 
and varieties worthy of a place in the ornamental plantation or ar- 
boretum, — as the English, Turkey, Variegated leaf, Weeping, &e. 



ROSA. 

New varieties of Roses are continually produced by florists in 
Europe and America, and it is impossible to keep the run of all 
that are introduced. In many cases they are not improvements, 
and I sho]^ recommend that the old varieties be retained until 
the flowers of the new sorts have been seen ; for, although there 
is something in a name, it does not prove that high-sounding 
names will, in all cases, represent improved flowers. Every one 
that buys a dozen new roses must expect to be disappointed in 
eleven of them. 

Since writing the above, I have read an article on the New 
Roses of 1855, by Thomas Rivers, of England, who, it appears, 
has come to about the same conclusion as myself in regard to the 
merits of some of the new Roses. He says, " In common with 
most of our flowers and fruits, there are, every year, new Roses 
in abundance ; but, owing to the present high standard of excel- 
lence in roses, but very few of the new varieties can be honestly 
recommended. It is true their names and their descriptions are 
enticing, owing to the false judgment of those who raise them from 
seed, who, with that peculiar leaning which every florist feels for 
a flower of his own creation, see in them qualities far above 
their deserts ; they describe them with glowing language, because 
they love them as a parent loves his children, and are surprised 
when a cool, distinguished looker-on, points out defects which 
their afiection-blinded eyes never detected. Of the sixty to eighty 
new varieties of Roses ' introduced to commerce,' as the French 
phrase is, during the autumn of 1854 and spring of 1855, many 
of them are pretty enough — for what Rose is not pretty? — but 
those of really fine qualities, excelling, or even equalling, the fine 
standard sorts already known, are lamentably few ; so much so, 



APPENDIX. 383 

that one almost fears the point of perfection has been attained, 
and that no better Roses than those we now possess can or will 
be originated." 



SALISBURIA. 

S. adiantifolia. — Maiden hair-leaved Salisburia. — An orna- 
mental tree, not common. The largest tree in New England is 
probably on Boston Common, which was transplanted, when quite 
a large tree, from a private garden. " It is a large tr^g, remark- 
able for its fan-shaped leaves, cloven, like some of the Adiantum 
species. The fruit is a pale brown drupe, of a globular form, is 
yellow when ripe, with a fleshy, juicy, white pulp, adhering closely 
to the drupe, which is like that of the apricot. The kernel is 
white, rather firm, sweet, with a mixture of austerity or bitterness 
when raw, but agreeable when roasted." It is sometimes called 
the Japan Jingo or Ginko tree. 



SALIX. 

Willow. — This is a very numerous family, but the Weeping 
Willow is the most common species for ornamental purposes. 
Some of the Osier Willows are desirable in the shrubbery, on ac- 
count of the beauty and variety of the colors of the twigs, but 
particularly in wet places. 



S A M B U C U S . 

Elder. — Of this common but ornamental indigenous shrub, 
there are species or varieties, that have been introduced, which 
will add much to the beauty of the shrubbery, viz., S. aurea, 
S. argentea, or silver-striped, and keterophylla. 



384 APPENDIX. 

S P H R A . 

iS. Japonica. — The Japan Sophora is a highly ornamental tree, 
of medium size, growing from thirty to forty feet high, producing 
white, pea-shaped flowers, in clusters similar to the locust, in 
August. The foliage is handsome, pinnate, or small leaflets ar- 
ranged in pairs upon a long central stem. 

S. Japonica pendula, or Weeping Sophora, is a beautiful 
tree, with pendulous, delicate branch.es, of deep green. When in 
full foliage and bloom it is an elegant tree for the lawn. 



SPIR^A. 

Spircea Reevesiana Jl. plena. — ^ Reeves's Double-flowering 
Spiraea. — Tlie Spiraea family constitute an elegant ornamental 
class, and the single variety of Reevesii is one of the most ele- 
gant of the tribe, on account of the elegance of its foliage, grace- 
fulness of its branches, and beauty of its snowy-white, clustered 
flowers ; but this new double variety is an improvement upon it, 
and will make a magnificent show when grown to a large size. 
Its height is about four feet. At present (1856) the plants ofiered 
for sale are small, but it will grow rapidly into a large bush, if 

planted in a rich soil. 

— * — 

SYRINGA. 

Ulac. — In addition to the varieties and species of Lilac no- 
ticed in the former edition, there are a number of others that are 
desirable in a large collection. 

The variety of the common Lilac with double flowers is very 
curious, but not so handsome as the single. 

Lilac Lady Joseki is a handsome species, flowering nearly a 
month later than the other sorts, with longer and more open spikes 
of flowers, a little darker than the common lilac, and the whole 
plant more graceful in its habits. 



APPENDIX. 385 

The Siberia?! Lilac is another graceful species, "with spikes 
more open than the common sort ; color about the same ; in flower 
a little later. 



TAMARIX. 

T. gallica. — French Tamarix. — An elegant, deciduous, hardy 
shrub, which, for some reason, has not received much attention 
in New England. The foliage is very graceful, and has some 
resemblance to that of the Heath. The pink flowers are produced 
in lateral spikes, in July or August, small, but very numerous. 
It grows about ten feet high. On account of its delicate, grace- 
ful habit, and heath-like flowers and foliage, it makes a desirable 
addition to the shrubbery. 

The German Tamarix is a hardy shrub, of similar habits. 
There are, also, a number of other species and varieties. 



TILIA. 

T. Americana. — American Lime or Bass Wood. — This noble 
tree is suitable for parks, streets, or large plantations. It grows 
to the height of eighty feet. When in flower it is quite orna- 
mental ; the flowers put forth in the month of June, and are borne 
by long peduncles, pendulous, of a greenish-yellow color, and are 
garnished with a long, narrow, floral leaf. The leaves are large, 
nearly round ; the seeds are ripe in October, are round, of a gray 
color. 

T. rubra. — The English Lime, or Linden tree, is a well- 
known shade tree, with smaller foliage than the American. It is 
a graceful tree, of large size. 

T. pendula — The Weeping Linden — is an interesting va- 
riety, propagated by grafting upon the common Lindens. 

T. argenea — Silver-striped Linden — has variegated leaves, 
and is suitable for ornamental plantations. 
33 



386 APPENDIX. 

There are other varieties and species of the Linden, but those 
described are the most prominent. The Weeping and Silver- 
striped varieties are not common in the nurseries, but small trees 

may be obtained. 

— »— 

U L M U S . 

The Mm. — The American Elm will always be a great favor- 
ite with all lovers of shade trees, for ornamenting streets and 
parks. There is no other tree that will compare with it in point of 
graceful magnificence, exuberance of foliage, and variety of forms 
exhibited in different trees in the same locality. This tree will grow 
in almost any soil, but the noblest specimens are to be seen in the 
rich, moist soils, such as is found in intervales and on river banks. 
It is a tree easy to transplant, even "with but few roots, as they 
are frequently taken from the pastures ; but, when taken from 
nurseries, the growth is hardly checked by the change. 

The English Elm — Vhnus campestris — has smaller foliage, 
and, instead of the graceful, curving outlines of the American 
species, grows more erect and rigid. In point of grace and beauty 
it is far inferior. In large plantations, and in streets, a few for 
variety's sake may be desirable, as it is a noble tree. 

The Scotch Ehn, or Ulmus montana^ is a smaller species of Elm, 
much cultivated in Scotland, but inferior to the English and 
American. 

The Purple-leaved Elm is an ornamental variety but little 
known, but promises to make an important addition to our stock 
of shade trees, on account of its unique foliage. There are, also, 
many other curious and interesting varieties of ornamental Elms. 



VIEGILIA. 



V. lutea. — Yellow Wood. — This ornamental tree is a native 
of the south-western states, but succeeds well in New England ; 
yet but little cultivated or known. " It grows to the height of 



APPENDIX. 387 

thirty or forty feet. The flowers form elegant white pendulous 
bunches, a little larger than those of the locust, but less odorif- 
erous. The leaves are six or eight inches long on old trees, and 
of twice the size on young, thrifty stocks. They are composed of 
two rows of leaflets, smooth, entire, nearly round, and about an 
inch and a half in diameter. The leaflets are three, four, or five 
on each side, borne by short petioles, and surmounted by an odd 
one, which is supported by the common foot-stalk." ^ 



WEIGELA. 

W. amabalis. — This ornamental shrub has flowers similar to 
W. rosea ; the only material difference is in the foliage, which is 
larger. I do not know of any shrub, of recent introduction, more 
desirable than either of these varieties. They prove as hardy as 
the Lilac, flower in great profusion, handsome, and sweet-scented. 



WISTARIA. 

W. Sinensis alba. — This new variety, noticed in the former 
edition, has now been introduced into this country, and may be 
obtained at some of the nurseries. Its large racemes of pure 
white flowers will contrast finely with the pale purple flowers of 
the old variety. 



EYERGKEEN TREES. 



The American Arbor Vitse and some other evergreen trees 
were more or less injured, and many killed, as it was generally 
supposed, by the severe winter of 1855. While the hard winter 
had much to do in their injury and destruction, it was, in fact, 
the great drought of the two preceding summers that laid the 
foundation of the evil. The greatest damage done to these trees 
appeared to be in the driest situations. In such locations, the 
soil was so dry that the young fibres of the roots must have been 
so completely dried up or weakened that they were not sufficient 
to sustain the trees through the severe winter. I lost five Hem- 
lock trees, that had been planted seven or eight years, and had 
attained the height of ten to twelve feet, which were in a vigor- 
ous growing state previous to the drought. A number of Arbor 
Vit£es, about the same height, were also very much injured, or 
so much checked in their growth that it is doubtful whether they 
will fully recover. The destruction of Arbor Vitae trees was 
very great throughout New England, especially in dry land. In 
some instances, where they were planted for hedges, a majority 
of the trees were killed. 

If our native evergreen trees, which we consider so hardy, 
were thus damaged and destroyed, it is no wonder that some of 
the newly-imported choice evergreens should have disappointed 
our hopes and expectations in relation to their hardiness. 

I have been trying very hard to acclimate the Deodar Cedar 
{Cedrus deodar), Chilian Pine {Araucaria imbricata), the 
Cypress of Europe {Cupressus sempervirens), the Cedar of Leba- 
non [Laviz cedrus), and some others, with partial success. I am 
hoping to succeed, not only with these beautiful evergreens, but 
with others which I have now under treatment ; but still have my 
fears that our New England climate will be too severe for them. 



APPENDIX. 389 

The Norway Spruce [Abies excelsa), and Austrian Pine {Pinus 
Atistrica), are great acquisitions for our climate, being perfectly 
hardy ; and with these and our native Pines, Cedars, Hemlocks, 
&c., we must content ourselves until it can be ascertained, for a 
certainty, what others may be depended upon. The Silver Fir 
[Picea pectina) is a beautiful tree, much handsomer than our 
native species, rather tender when young, but proves hardy when 
well established. The young trees are imported from Europe, 
and grown in our nurseries. They are not, however, very plenty 
yet, as they are more subject to perish on their passage than the 
Norway Spruce and some other young evergreens. 

The Chinese Arbor Vitae. — Thuya Orientalis. — This is a 
handsome evergreen tree, and has proved hardy, having stood un- 
protected for the last three winters. The foliage is very beauti- 
ful, and of a more lively green than the American species. The 
only objection to it is, that, during cold weather, the foliage 
assumes a brownish hue. 

Thuya aurea has singular foliage, of a bright yellowish-green 
color. T.filiformis has weeping, pendant branches. ' T. varie- 
gata has variegated foliage. All three varieties are novelties, 
and, having been planted in my garden last spring, I shall have 
an opportunity of witnessing the efifects of the present winter 
(1856) upon them. As the great body of snow on the ground 
has given them a good protection, I hope to see them come out 
bright, 

Taxus baccata and T. Hibernia, the English and Irish yews, 
with the Thuyas, and some other evergreens, are in the process 
of acclimation, and I hope I shall be enabled hereafter to report 
them hardy. 

33=- 



INDEX TO THE APPENDIX. 



PAGE 

Abronia Umbellata, 362 

Abele, (Silver Leaf), 379 

Acer, 371 

iEsculus, (Horse Chestnut), . . .371 

Ageratutn, 362 

Amaranth, 352 

Ailanthus, 370 

Antirrhinum, 363 

Arctotis breviscapa, 348 

Arbor vitifi, 388 

Araucania, 388 

Aster, . 347 

Austrian Pine, 389 

Balsam, 349 

Basswood, 385 

Bedding Plants, 362 

Betula, 373 

Berberis, 373 

Black Alder, 380 

Birch, AVeeping, &c., 373 

Buckingham, Hon. J. T.'s, letter, 3 

Calceolaria, 363 

Calliopsis, 347 

Cardinal Flower, 354 

Castanea, 373 

Cherianthus, 351 

Chestnut, 373 

Cedar, 388 

Cedrus, 388 

Chilian Pine, 388 

Chrysanthemum, 350 

Colors, Arrangement of, .... 369 

Coreopsis, 350 

Coronilla, 374 

Compost for Plants, 339 

Cuphea, 363-350 

Cultivation of Parlor Plants, . .337 

Cypress, 388 

Cydonia, 374 

Dearborn's, Hon. H. A. S., letter, 3 

Delphinium, 351 

Drummond Phlox, 358 

Dielytra, 351 

Deutzia gracilis, 374 

Elm, 386 

Elder, 383 

Euonymus, 375 

Evergreen Trees, 388 



PAGE 

Feverfew, Double, 366 

Fraxinus, 375 

Fuchsia, 363 

Gaura, 352 

Gaillardia, 364 

Geranium, 364 

Gomphrena, Globe Amaranth, . . 352 

Gleditschia, 375 

Hazel Nut, 374 

Heliotrope, 365 

Helichrysum, 353 

Hollyhock, 353 

Honey Locust, 375 

Horse Chestnut, 370 

Hypericum, 375 

Indigofera, 376 

Indigo Shrub, 376 

Inkberry, 381 

Insects, How to destroy, . . . .341 

Jacobea, 367 

Jasmine, 376 

Japan Quince, Double, 374 

Jingo Tree, 383 

Juglans, 376 

Lantana, 363 

Laurus, 376 

Lady Josckii Lilac, 384 

Ligustrum, 377 

Lilac, 384 

Linden, 385 

Lime Tree, 385 

Liriodendron, 378 

Liquidamber, 378 

Lobelia, 354 

Mathiola, 354 

Maple, 371 

Mirabalis, 355 

Norway Spruce, 389 

Oak, 381 

Ornamental and Shade Trees, . .370 

Oriental Plane, 379 

Paulownia, 378 

Perennials and Annuals, .... 345 

Petunia, 365 

Perylla, 356 

Phlox, 357 

Platanus, 379 

Plants for Bedding, 362 



392 



INDEX TO THE APPENDIX. 



Plants for Parlor, 343 

Annual and Perennial, 345 

Poplar, 379 

Potting Plants, 340 

Privet, Golden, 377 

Prinos, 380 

Pyrethrum, 3G6 

Quercus, 381 

Rose, 382 

Budbeckia, 358 

Saint John's-wort, 375 

Salix, 383 

Salvia, 366 

Salisburia, 383 

Sambucus, 383 

Scarlet Sage, 366 

Scorpion Senna, 374 

Senecio, 367 

Sibirion Lilac, 384 

Silverleaf Abele, 379 

Snapdragon, 363 



Sophora, 384 

Spireea, (Reeve's Double), . . . 384 

Taxus, 388 

Tamarix, 385 

Three-thorned Acacia, 375 

Thuya, 388 

Tilia, 385 

Tree of Heaven, 370 

Ulmus, 386 

Virgilia, 386 

Verbena, 367 

Veronica, 368 

Wallflower, 350 

Walnut, 376 

Wegelia, 387 

Whitlavia, 360 

Willow, 383 

Wistaria, White, 387 

Yucca, 359 

Yew, 38S 

Zaucshneria, 360 



NOTICES OF THE BOOK OF FLOWERS. 



Favorable notices of the Book of Flowers have multiplied on my 
hands ; but all I desire in its praise and commendation has been 
embodied in letters from eminent gentlemen which I have published, 
and will not therefore occupy any space to record others. 

Boston, Feb. 9, 1856. 

The late lamented Gen. H. A. S. Dearborn, formerly Presi- 
dent of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, and whose opinion, 
of all others, I most highly esteem, expressed himself in relation to 
this work in the following complimentary and flattering letter : 

Hawthorn Cottage, 

Roxbury, March 17, 1851. 

Mt dear Sir : I have obtained, and read with great pleasure, your ad- 
mirable treatise on " The Flower-Garden." It is far the best work that has 
been published in this country upon that interesting subject, and preferable 
to any which have been imported for the New England States. The details 
of cultivation are precisely those which were required ; and from your long 
experience in rearing ornamental shrubs and herbaceous flowering plants, 
which will endure the rigor of our climate, and your extensive and thorough 
knowledge of the habits of indigenous and exotic plants, which have been 
introduced into our gardens, entire confidence can be reposed in the instruc- 
tions which have been given for the successful management of each genus and 
species. 

Such a book as you have so timely furnished has been long a desideratum, 
and will have a most favorable influence in extending a taste for, and in ad- 
vancing, that branch of rural tillage, which adds so much to the beauty of 
country residences. 

What gives great value to the book is the highly important catalogue of 
Native Plants which you have in such a commendable manner introduced, and 
recommended to the special attention of your fellow-citizens. We have too 
long been in the habit of seeking in other countries ornamental trees, shrubs, 
and herbaceous flowers, when we have such a large variety, and among them 
many superior to those which have been imported as the product of other 
climes. 

No one more highly appreciates the immense services you have rendered to 



394 NOTICES. 

Horticulture and Agriculture, in all tlieir numerous departments, than I do ; 
for I well know how long your attention has been devoted to those subjects, 
and with what zeal and unremitted industry you have collected specimens of 
the most precious varieties of fruits, flowers and culinary vegetables, from 
all parts of the globe, and how well you have cultivated them, as well as the 
unwearied efforts you have made for the advancement of the best implements 
for the field, the orchard, and the garden, while, as an author, you are en- 
titled to the gratitude of every person who lives by, or is pleased with, the cul- 
tivation of plants ; and as a generous contributor to the weekly and annual 
exhibitions of the Horticultural Society ever since its establishment, you 
stand in the front rank. 

With assurances of sincere esteem, I offer the most friendly salutations. 

H. A. S. Dearboen. 

Joseph Bkeck, Esq. 

The Hon. J. T. Buckingham, formerly editor of the Boston 
Courier, well known throughout New England not only as an editor, 
but for the deep interest he has taken in Agricultural and Horticul- 
tural matters, has favored me with the following letter, which, with 
his leave, I publish. As a gentleman of refinement and taste, and a 
lover of all the wonderful works of God, from a humble flower to 
the magnificent heavens, I regard his opinion and commendation of 
my work with much satisfaction ; 

Cambridge, Feb. 7, 1856. 
Joseph Breck, Esq. 

Dear Sir : I understand that you are about publishing a new edition of 
your "Flower-Garden, or Book of Flowers." I am heartily glad of it. It is 
an evidence that the love of flowers, and their influence upon manners and 
morals, are increasing in our community. To this prevailing sentiment your 
book has essentially contributed. It has done much to improve the culture 
of flowers, and to extend that improvement in all directions. Personal obser- 
vation has furnished me with unmistakable indications of a refinement of 
taste among the rural population, in regard to these " Day-stars that twinkle 
from rainbow galaxies of earth's creation." Thirty years ago, a thrifty, 
money-making farmer would hardly permit a peony or a daSy, a poppy or a 
hollyhock, to show its face on his territory ; and if his wife or children had 
contrived to raise a few of these or other flowers in some out-of-the-way 
corner in a garden appropriated to the raising of beans or cabbages, the 
chances were ten to one that he, or ono of his hired men, would exterminate 
them with as little remorse as they would pull up a nettle, a thistle, or a pig- 
weed. Every vegetable, not esculent by man or beast, was dealt with as an 
intruder, disfiguring the healthy countenance of the farm, or robbing it of 
some portion of its coveted income ; and if a rose-bush had happily escaped 
the general purgation by means of the earnest supplication of some domestic 



NOTICES. 395 

favorite, the exemption was boasted of as an act of unmerited condescension. 
Now, you may travel through New England, and over a much broader space, 
and you will scarcely see a farm-house or a cottage, that is not embellished 
with a plat, or a border, of flowers, and probably a rose or a honey-suckle 
climbing up the door-posts or window-frames. In the garden you will see a 
bed of pinks or marigolds, and many other of the old-fashioned sorts, — such, 
I mean, as were, by a peculiar act of grace, in former years, permitted to grow 
in the garden, undisturbed by any attempt at cultivation. In my rambles 
about the county of Middlesex (as one of a committee of the Agricultural 
Society, to inspect farms and to report on the condition and progress of agri- 
culture,) I have been agreeably surprized to see what changes a few years 
have produced. It is not uncommon to meet with a farmer, proud, as he should 
be, of the fine appearance of his cultivated acres, speaking with apparent 
pleasure of some new flower in his garden, or of the fine fragrance and beau- 
tiful colors of an old one, and commenting on the native country and habits 
and various attractive qualities of each. I have no doubt that many farmers 
in the country, who once thought it mere idleness to cultivate a flower, may 
be seen, after a hard day's work, walking or reclining in a flower-garden, 
mentally enjoying, and perhaps vocally enunciating, the sentiment, if not the 
language, of a favorite poet : 

" If God liath made this world so fair, 
Where sin and death abound, 
How beautiful, beyond compare, 
Will Paradise be found !" 
Now, my dear sir, do you not think that some part of this change is your 
work ? Modesty may forbid you to put in a claim for the credit of the im- 
provement ; but there are thousands who will acknowledge their indebtedness 
to your Book of Flowers for the impulse which has produced it ; for the skill 
which has enabled them to succeed in cultivation ; for incentives to the im- 
provement of intellectual powers ; for new and innocent modes of recreation ; 
and for motives to pursue the holiest of all studies, — veneration of the power, 
admiration of the skill, devotion to the love of that incomprehensible Being, 
whose attributes are manifested scarcely more in the position and motion of 
suns and systems, than in the beauty and fragrance of the violet and the lily. 

" Were I, God, in churchless lands remaining, 
Far from all voice of teachers and divines, 
My soul would find, in flowers of thy ordaining, 
Priests, sermons, slu'ines." 

You must feel happy, my dear sir, in the consciousness of having done so 
much to promote the innocent enjoyment of others, and to develop the sources 
and the means of pure and rational recreation. I trust that the new edition 
of your book will not only add to your own satisfaction, but will secure the 
renewed thanks and regards of a grateful and enlightened public. 

Respectfully and sincerely your friend, 

Joseph T. Buckingham. 



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